Harry Potter Redux
by Claire Violet Thorpe
Summary: Are you feeling ripped off by JK Rowling's ending of the series? Well, here's how the the story would have gone if I wrote it! All 7 years in one story; will be a very long story. Also available to read on Wattpad
1. Prologue

Title: Harry Potter Redux

Author: Jacquel Carey

Date Started: November 12, 2007

Hello everyone! I take it that you're all done reading the books. Well, here's the thing: _are you miffed about how JK Rowling ended the HP series? Are you still mourning for al the characters that she killed off (including me, although I'm not in the story)? Do you wish that the story turned out differently? _

Well, here's your chance to find out what would happen if I wrote the series and not that Scottish woman. (_You know who I'm talking about_). And because this is a fanfiction story, anything and everything that I like in other stories goes into this one. I hope you'll enjoy this version of the Harry Potter story. Here we go!

This fanfic is rated PG-13 because it contains angst, moderate language, adult/sexual situations and themes, dark magic, violence, family/domestic problems, slash, and teen pregnancy, all involving wizards

Disclaimer: I own nothing but this story. I also own some characters that I have added to my many HP fanfics. No stealing!

* * *

Here's the summary: Let's pretend that after _Deathly Hallows_ ended, somehting dramatic happens to Harry. In 1981, after James and Lily Potter met their deaths and Harry is sent to live with the Dursleys, Petunia Dursley sends him to stay with her brother Carlyle Evans in Liverpool. Carlyle has married Mary Lewis and they have five children Robbie, Louise, Felix, David, and Molly.

Also, Jacquel Romanov is sent to live with the Dursleys after her guardian, Nichollo Trichenberg, is sent to jail for committing various crimes. Vernon and Petunia are also forced to deal with Jacquel's friends Roxanne Edmonds, Walter Webster, and Nichollo's grandsons Jonathan and Adrian Trichenberg. Jacquel is 2 years old when she is sent to them so there's no "_escaping to the Dursleys every summer_" for her.

Everyone else's story is still the same, and there are several new characters that we will be meeting as the story goes on. Harry and Jacquel meet when they are in Diagon Alley but will there be an instant friendship? What of the Weasleys? Hermione? Malfoy? We'll just have to wait and see.

So anyway, that's the story. Be aware, for this is fanfiction and certain parts from the first 6 books will not be included. _Deathly Hallows_ does not happen. But the epilogue will be different from JKR's version. Now, let's all get ready to read this tale; it will be a long one!

Happy reading!

_Pink Royale_

Is rewriting the entire story a good idea? Drop me a line and let me know what you think.


	2. The BoyWhoLivedto become an Evans

Chapter 1: **The Boy-Who-Lived...to become an Evans**

Date: November 26, 2007

Well, here's the first chapter of the series; yes, it'll be all 7 books, people! Since you are all clamoring for me to write the story, I'll crack and get to it. But be forewarned; it's not canon, and plus, fanon is 1,000 times than canon, AM I RIGHT, PEOPLE?

In this chapter, we see Dumbledore hand baby Harry over to the Dursleys. Petunia is sad when she finds out about Lily's death. Also, their brother Carlyle (aka Lee) shows up with his new wife Mary after abandoning their family many years before. To make him pay for causing the deaths of their parents and sister, Petunia tricks Lee into moving in next door to her and raising Harry. Well, Dumbledore has no idea that his plan is about to go awry as his daughter Amber and her new friend Willamaerha Thristal plan to rescue Will from her abusive brothers.

Have a happy story!

_Pink Royale_

* * *

Here's how the story goes: we already saw Dumbledore make the very unwise decision of placing Harry with the Dursleys. But what if Petunia decided that someone else needed to raise Harry? Here's how the story would go...

Petunia saw the baby lying on the front porch the next day. She had just found out about her sister Lily's death. Her husband Vernon frowned; he wasn't ready to take in an orphan, especially not with magic inside him. He said, "Well, isn't there anyone else out there who can take care of Harry?"

Petunia gasped. She knew that her brother Carlyle Evans wouldn't willingly take charge of the baby. "Not that I know of."

"But what of Carlyle? Your brother?" Vernon asked. Petunia glared at him. "VERNON DURSLEY!" she yelled, making their baby son Dudley cry. "I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU TO NEVER MENTION THAT NAME!" Vernon was surprised; Petunia would normally hold her temper. But ever since she had found out about her sister's death and the task of raising baby Harry, the woman had become quite irritable. "Why not your brother?" he wondered.

"Because that good-for-nothing idiot abandoned our family when Lily got her Hogwarts letter," said Petunia. "I was 14 and Lily was just 11. Lee was 18 and full of hot temper. Being influenced by those "so-called normals," he shunned Lily and yelled at mum and dad for supporting her."

"And you?" Vernon asked.

"I had to pick a side: to side with Lily or side with Lee. I eventually had to side with Lily, even though I didn't like the idea of magic. Lee took off the next day and never returned. And to this day, I never forgave him for leaving us." She sighed and went to comfort a crying Harry. "If only I could make him pay for leaving us, we'll see..."

Within a few days, James Harold Potter and Lily Marie Evans-Potter were buried. Baby Harry cried. So did Petunia. Vernon frowned and shook his head. Just then the person that Petunia had hoped to never see again came to the funeral.

"So you've decided to show your face here after all these years," Petunia snapped. Carlyle Evans did not say anything. "Where were you when mum and dad died? Where were you when Lily and I needed you? Oh, I know; you were too damn busy lollygagging on those bloody Californian beaches, were you not?"

"I," Lee began.

"IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY!" Petunia screamed as she turned to look at him. "You think after all these years that you have walked out on us that you can just waltz back into our lives and everything is going to be peaches and cream? No way! Mum, dad, and Lily are dead! I'm the only still here and this..." she pointed to Harry, "is her poor child, the latest casualty of your stupidity!"

"But Petunia, I..." Lee tried again.

"Don't you dare try to explain yourself to me!" Petunia shot back in anger. "You walked out on us just as we needed you the most! I've lost almost every member of my family because of you! You are a mean and evil creature that doesn't even deserve to be called my brother!"

"Who are you to call my husband that?" a blonde haired, blue-eyed woman snapped as she started for Petunia. "Husband?" Petunia sputtered. "Ha! Are you that stupid that you would marry such a hurtful-?"

"Well," said Lee, "this is my wife, Mary Lewis. We got married just last year and..."

"...and you didn't think that your family didn't need to know about it, or did you?" Vernon cut in.

"Well, until I found out about Lily, I had no credible reason to be here," said Lee.

"Well, you have one now," said Petunia. She reached over to pick up little Harry. "This is Lily's baby, your nephew Harry Potter. You'll be taking care of him from now on."

"And if I don't," Lee began.

"Don't even think of backing out this time," said Vernon, "because we'll be watching you. Also, you'll be moving next to us so we can keep an eye on you..."

"...and if I ever find even the smallest trace of abuse on Harry, I will crush you the way I should have crushed you years ago!" Petunia snapped.

Well, that's the end of that part of the story; well here's what happens next: Lee and Mary were forced to move to #6 Privet Drive, which was next to Vernon and Petunia. Also, Lee and his wife had to raise baby Harry as their own. Petunia kept an eye on the boy daily and checked for any signs of abuse or neglect. Dumbledore wouldn't be too please with this arrangement, as his plans to train Harry as a soldier would go awry.

And speaking of plans going awry, Dumbledore's 5-year-old daughter Amber and her 6-year-old friend Willamaerha Thristal had recently helped Will run away from her cruel and abusive brothers. Will's story was that her mother had died when she was born, and her brothers never let her forget that. They treated her worse than Cinderella's stepsisters treated her. Her father, Melanus, worried about his daughter and tried to protect her from her brother as only a father could.

But Harry's story is about to begin in a way that no one had ever anticipated...

* * *

Well, we have the first chapter of the story. But here's the question: since this is a fanfiction remake of _Harry Potter_, should I put Harry in Slytherin or keep him as a Gryffindor? Should I make Dumbledore good or be a manipulative jerk? (_Well, since he's gay anyway, I now like totally hate him and stuff; I want to get him back for that lie_) and what about everyone else?

review, things are about to go haywire from here!


	3. Royal Flush

Chapter 2: **Royal Flush**

Date: November 30, 2007

And now we have the second chapter of the series; yes, it'll be all 7 books, people! Since you are all clamoring for more, I'll crack and give you guys the next part. But be forewarned; it's not canon, and plus, fanon is 1,000 times than canon, AM I RIGHT, PEOPLE?

In this chapter, we get to meet little Jacquel Romanov when she is given to the Dursleys. She is just 2 years old when that happens. The Dursleys reluctantly taken in 2-year-old Jonathan and 1-year-old Adrian Trichenberg after their grandfather Nichollo Trichenberg (_who_ _is also Jacquel's guardian_) is taken into custody for committing various crimes. Lee and Mary welcome their first son Robbie, and on that same day a set of twins appear on the Evanses' doorstep. Meanwhile, Dumbledore discovers a new threat that could change the course of the wizarding and muggle worlds forever.

There is also a bit of rumors surrounding Jacquel and another original character about them being royalty, hence the title. It may be insignificant now, but it will play a huge part later on in the story.

Have a happy story!

_Pink Royale_

* * *

Here's how the story goes: We will now get to meet the second person who...ah screw the intro! You want the story, not the filler!

_1 Year Later..._

It is now the year 1982. But if you thought that Petunia and her brother Lee had reconciled, think again. They weren't on speaking terms and Petunia found herself watching Harry more often than she should. What had that woman been thinking to punish Carlyle Evans by forcing him to take care of a baby named Harry?

One evening, little Harry and Dudley were gleefully throwing food around the dinner table despite Petunia's efforts to stop them when Vernon showed up. He was carrying a very tiny girl with him. "Here's little Miss Jacquel Romanov," the man frowned as he set the toddler in a chair. "We're to be watching her for a while."

"But where are her parents?" Petunia asked as she stared at the little girl. "She has none," her husband snapped, "and she's been that way since they took her from her guardian a few days ago. Seems like that guy is unfit to be raising a small child, especially her." Just then, a flying piece of carrot hit Vernon square on the nose. "That's enough, boys!" he yelled. The two toddlers stared at the huge man. "Now I want you to meet Jacquel Romanov; she'll be staying with us for a while."

Dudley and Harry stared at Jacquel. The little fat boy frowned, but little Harry smiled at her. "Hi!" Jacquel squealed, before sliding off her seat and began raiding the cupboard. Very soon, she had pulled out several cookies. "Not for you," said Petunia as she snatched the cookies away from the small child. "You are far too small to be eating gingerbread snaps. You should be drinking milk and eating vegetables so you can get bigger."

Jacquel stared at the woman with awe. Usually she got what she wanted from the servants, but this person didn't understand her. She wanted those cookies! "Now, now," Vernon tried to reason with her, "why don't you have some mac-and-cheese and some vegetables-oh that's right, you're allergic to vegetables..." he muttered as he set about, making a plate and setting it before the small girl. The older boys watched in amazement as Jacquel gobbled up the entire plate. After finishing the milk, she cried out, "Cookie mine!"

"You need to relax..." Vernon said as he tried once again to reason with the child.

"I WANT MY COOKIES!" She screamed.

"Oh for God's sake, give her the cookie!" Lee yelled as he showed up. "She's a baby."

"A baby that got very little love and attention from her guardian," said Petunia, "and why are you here, Lee? Shouldn't you be picking Harry up and taking him for the weekend?"

"I would, if Mary didn't have to go into the hospital," Lee frowned. Mary, his wife, had gone in to deliver their first child. "And I believe that congratulations are in order?"

Vernon frowned, and then handed the cookies to the children. "I would say that," he said, "but how will we know that you aren't going to continue being a jerk? How will we know that your children won't hate you the way Petunia did? How will we..."

"Verron, Verron, me tiwed," Jacquel looked at the older men, her brown eyes beginning to close. "You got lucky, Carlyle," Petunia snapped as she scooped up the tiny girl and beckoned the boys to follow her. "Maybe this time, you'll learn that family is much more important than reputation!"

Well, within a few days, Vernon returned home with two very small boys. "That's little Jonathan and Adrian Trichenberg," he said to Petunia. "Don't ask about their parents; they're dead. Their grandmother's in a loony bin and their grandfather...well, you can guess he's in trouble." Petunia stared at the boys and said, "And we're to be watching them for a while."

"Indeed," Vernon frowned as he set the boys down and plopped down into his easy chair. Little Jacquel stared at Jonathan and Adrian for a moment, before walking back into the room and watching MTV. Dudley and Harry had been put down for a nap just moments before.

The little boys went to explore their new home. Unlike their old house, which was little more than a playhouse full of disaster, the Dursley house was clean. Much too clean. But that would soon end, thanks to Vernon's so-called "generosity." Within a few days, the Dursley family became bigger with the arrival of Jacquel's younger brother Nicholas, who was about to be adopted against their dead mother's wishes.

Meanwhile back at Hogwarts, Dumbledore was still trying to get Willamaerha Thristal to go back home to her brothers, a request that didn't sit too well with his daughter and deputy headmistress/wife. Amber had repeatedly told her father that Will's brothers were abusing Will, and Minerva McGonagall simply did not want to see Will being sent to a potentially abusive household.

"Really, Albus, you must listen to Miss Thristal," McGonagall said to him one evening after the girls went to bed. "It would be nothing short of murder to send her back to a family that hates her."

"I wish for nothing more than for Willamaerha to be with her family," Dumbledore tried as an excuse. But his wife wasn't about to buy into that, just as she refused to buy into his idea about him placing Harry with the Dursleys. She knew that sending Will back to the Thristals would result in Will's death or something far worse.

Dumbledore knew that he wasn't going to win this round. Instead, he said, "I hear that Lily Potter's brother and his wife are expecting their first child."

"Indeed," said McGonagall, "but what strikes me as odd are those Trichenberg and Romanov children."

"Could they be related?" Hagrid said as he joined the old wizards.

"Perhaps they could be royalty," Dumbledore said.

"It may be a rumor, but it is believed that the Romanov youngsters could be related to a royal family," said Hagrid. "But there seems to be nothing like that here."

"It may not be them, but their mother, who had been rumored to be a Romanov even though all the Romanovs are all dead," said McGonagall. "And with Irene's death, even that mysterious line has come to an end."

"Mayhaps Miss Jacquelyn and Mister Nicholas have but a small part to play in the years to come," said Dumbledore. "Their valor will be among those who will vanquish the Dark Lord."

"I will not allow any of this nonsense from you, Albus," McGonagall snapped. "Miss Jacquelyn, Mister Nicholas, and especially Mister Potter will live normal lives and make something of themselves instead of sacrificing themselves and correcting your mistakes."

"For once, I agree," said Dumbledore.

The next day, Carlyle and Mary Evans welcomed their first son, Robert Carlyle Evans into the world. That date was December 10, 1982. Ok, so the Evanses played the part of the pleased parents and the Dursleys the happy relatives, but other than that, the birth was not an enjoyable one. Vernon and Petunia were sitting at home after the children were put to bed. Lee was with them. Petunia said, "I can tell you aren't too happy with little Robert."

"I'm not," said Lee.

"I know why," said Vernon. "Robbie's magic, isn't he? Well, I can't say you got what you deserved, after all the hurt you gave to your sisters."

On that day, a basket was pushed behind the bickering siblings. Vernon turned around and opened the basket, revealing two very small babies, both about Robbie's age. They were crying. He then noticed a card on their blankets. It read Casper & Solaris Mobley.

As for Jacquel, Nicholas, and Harry, they lived their lives not knowing that they would become involved in the second Wizarding War. And not only that, Jacquel would become one of the most powerful witches of her age. Harry would take control of his life and deliver a blow that would shatter the Dark Lord's hold on the Wizarding world. Willamaerha would have to choose between her family and Hogwarts. Everyone would have to choose between preserving a dying way of life or forging a new world.

* * *

And now, we shall introduce the characters:

(1) **Jacquel Romanov** is the unnaturally wealthy girl whose origins are shrouded in mystery. Her mother and grandparents are dead and she was living with her philandering guardian, cousin Nichollo Trichenberg, when she was suddenly sent to the Dursleys.

(2) **Jonathan Trichenberg** is a young boy whose parent were killed by a mysterious curse. His grandmother Myrna DuBois went insane soon after and she was placed in a mental hospital. He and his younger brother Adrian are sent to the Dursleys.

(3) **Nicholas Romanov III** was named after Czar Nicholas II of Russia and the younger brother of Jacquel Romanov. He was about to be adopted into another family when he is sent to the Dursleys, who are already the guardians of his sister.

(4) **Willamaerha Thristal** is the best friend of Dumbledore and McGonagall's daughter, Amber. She loves her father, Melanus, but detests her older brothers Ares, Rafel, Mairten, and Sinfolte, who also hate her. Will wants to ditch her family and attend Hogwarts.

(5) **Carlyle Evans** is Lily and Petunia's brother. He ditched the family when Lily recieves her Hogwarts letter and later marries Mary Lewis, a marriage that doesn't sit too well with Petunia.

* * *

Well, we have the second chapter of the story. But here's the question: since this is a fanfiction remake of _Harry Potter_, should I put Harry in Slytherin or keep him as a Gryffindor? Should I make Dumbledore good or be a manipulative jerk? (_Well, since he's gay anyway, I now like totally want to crush him like the lying bastard that he is_) and what about everyone else?

review, use constructive critism, but NO FLAMES!

next chapter: **Growing Up Dursley**


	4. Growing Up Dursley

Chapter 3: **Growing Up Dursley**

Date: November 30, 2007

The third part is out. It's not canon; it's fanon.

Several years pass. Harry lives a somewhat decent life than what J. K. Rowling described, but the other children are not so lucky. Life in the Evans household isn't good at all. The Evans children are kept indoors all day and are not allowed to go to school or even outside to play, yet the Mobley twins are treated a bit more decently. Jonathan and Adrian are taken in by a family friend who doesn't think they should be raised by the Dursleys, yet Jacquel and Nick remain with the Dursleys. Will's brothers come to take her away, but McGonagall refuses to let them. Will is ultimately disowned and she becomes a permanent resident of Hogwarts. The kids don't seem to realize that they must grow up in a world that demands their attention...

Have a happy story!

_Claire Violet Thorpe_

* * *

And now for the 3rd part of the story:

Well, here's the thing: We've already seen how the Evanses and the Dursleys reacted when Jacquel, Nick, Jonathan, and Adrian arrived. But now comes the story about Robbie Evans and how Harry's life was drastically improved even while he was surrounded by even crueler relatives.

A few years had passed since Harry, Jacquel, Jonathan, Adrian, and Nicholas were sent to the Dursleys. While Harry lived a rather decent life (more decent than in canon), Jacquel and Nick had to suffer the indignities of being an orphan. Jonathan and Adrian also had to deal with the senseless teasing of the other chlidren. Vernon and Petunia tried to protect tham as often as they could.

Speaking of Jonathan and Adrian, their grandmother, Constance Cavanaugh, was upset that her grandsons were placed in a foster home instead of being sent to her, and she sought to have custody of the boys. But with her history of mental health problems, social servies placed Johnny and Adrian with another family. Constance swore that she would get her grandsons back.

Meanwhile, Carlyle and Mary Evans became the parents of Robert Carlyle (born 1982), Marie Louise (born 1984), and twins Felix and David (born 1988). Casper and Solaris Mobley (also born 1982) stayed with the Evanses, for they had no family that would take them in. Though Lee and Mary treated the Mobley twins well, their own children were not allowed to watch TV, play with toys, or to even go to school. And whenever Harry came to visit, he wasn't allowed to play with his cousins. The Evans children were forbidden to see their cousin Dudley Dursley at all.

And as for Jonathan and Adrian, Constance's stepdaughter Lola Burke took the boys into her home, which was in Bagdale. Constance was angry and demanded that Lola gvie the boys back to her. This would later lead to a bitter fight between Constance and Lola. Lola's brother Bruce Burke also claimed that Constance abused him and Lola and spoiled her only child, Saul. Well, we haven't seen the last of Constance yet.

But we have now seen (and heard) the last of Will's abusive brothers. When Will was 8 years old, her older brothers Ares, Rafel, Mairten, and Sinfolte came to Hogwarts to retrieve Will. Ares, the oldest, snapped, "Where is Willamaerha?" Dozens of students gasped as he reached out and snatched Will. "Willamaerha Lyra Thristal, you are coming home right now and you are NEVER coming back here You are NOT going to any school at all."

"But Ares," said Will, "I have to go to school. Minerva says that I have to."

"Willamaerha, you are nothing but a a worthless brat!" Ares yelled as he slapped Will. "You're going home and..."

"What are you doing here?" Minerva McGonagall said. She then slapped Ares across his face. "I heard what you said to Miss Willamaerha and I knew she was being abused, but now I see that she wasn't lying at all. Get out." Ares made no move to leave; instead he slapped Will again and again, calling her a worthless brat and just saying all kinds of horrible things that no child should have to hear.

Amber soon arrived and upon seeing Ares, stuck him in the back of his head with an iron poker. In anger, Ares threw a pot of boiling water at Amber and Will. The pot hit Professor Dumbledore and he fell down. Then McGonagall and several other teachers quickly subdued Ares, Rafel, Mairten, and Sinfolte. And as aurors carted them away, Ares shouted to Will, "You are no longer part of our family! I disown you and you'll never see dad again!"

After all was said and done, Will began sobbing. She knew that she had done nothing wrong and yet Ares blamed her for their mother's death. McGonagall came to her and said, "Now don't you worry, Willamaerha. You will live here at Hogwarts and we'll be your family." But Will had no idea that her troubles weren't over yet. In fact, they were just beginning...

* * *

And now, we shall introduce the characters:

1. **Robert Carlyle Evans**, **Marie Louise Evans**, **Felix Michael Evans**, and **David James Evans**: the children of Carlyle and Mary Evans. Their parents (for reasons you have already guessed) are keeping their children locked away and treating them as servants.

2. **Constance Chianbi Cavanaugh**: the grandmother of Jonathan and Adrian Trichenberg. She has a history of mental health problems, triggered in early adulthood. After her son Saul's death, her stepdaughter Lola took the boys into her home and claimed that Constance abused her and her brother. T two women are now in a bitter custody dispute involving Johnny and Adrian.

3. **Ares**, **Rafel**, **Mairten**, and **Sinfolte** **Thristal**: the sons of Mel and Arista Thristal; Willamaerha's brothers. They are now in jail for abusing Will.

4. **Casper James Mobley** and **Solaris Lily Mobley**: the foster children of Carlyle and Mary Evans. They are treated well, unlike their foster siblings.

* * *

Well, we have the third chapter of the story. But here's the thing: since this is a fanfiction remake of _Harry Potter_, here's the thing: Harry will not be placed in either Slytherin or Gryffindor, and Dumbledore is nothing more than a manipulative jerk who will one day get what he deserved.

review, use constructive critism, but NO FLAMES!

next chapter: **An Unusual Talent**


	5. An Unusual Talent

Chapter 4: **An Unusual Talent**

Date: December 6, 2007

And now for the 4th part of the story. And in short, canon is more of what we call "_guidelines_" than actual rules.

Several years later, life in the Dursley household takes another dramatic turn. On Dudley's birthday, the family takes a trip to the London Zoo. Coming with them are now 8-year-old Robbie, 6-year-old Louise, 2-year-old twins Felix & David Evans, and 8 year old twins Casper & Solaris Mobley. THe Evans children are going against the wishes of their "_Puritannical_" parents Carlyle Evans and Mary Lewis. At the zoo, Harry encounters a snake and talks to it. Petunia freaks out and Vernon snatches the kids away. They questioned Harry, who admits that he has no idea of his strange talent. The Dursleys think that Lee has corrupted Harry and they decide to remove him, the Mobley twins, and the Evans children from Lee and his wife.

Have a happy story!

_Claire Violet Thorpe_

* * *

And now for the 4th part of the story:

The year was now 1991, and the Dursley family seemed to get bigger, even if the house didn't. With the arrivals of Juniper in 1986 and Ian in 1988, Vernon and Petunia began to wonder if it was right for them to be keeping Jacquel and Nicholas Romanov.

It was now Dudley's 11th birthday, and he had begged his parents to take him to the London Zoo for months. Vernon and Petunia couldn't say no to the fat boy and so they decided to load up the whole family and go. Harry, Jacquel, and Nick were also going.

But before they left, Vernon had thought about taking the Evans and Mobley children. While Casper and Solaris Mobley were treated well, Robbie, Louise, Felix, and David weren't. Vernon decided to invite them on the trip. "Absolutely not!" Lee had snapped when the request was made.

"And why not?" Petunia inquired.

"Well," said Lee, "the kids have a lot of chores to do today..."

"Now, Carlyle," Petunia started, "you know the kids shouldn't have to do chores and be little more than servants to the Mobley twins..."

"But they're all a bunch of worthless freaks!" Lee complained.

"They're going," Vernon said sternly. "_All_ of them."

Within a few hours, the rather large family was enjoying their visit at the zoo. Especially excited were the Evans children. They had never seen the world outside their house, nor had Robbie or Louise saw the inside of a classroom or a school. Harry acted like he was a tour guide, showing the Evans siblings around the place like it Hollywood or something like that. That irked Jacquel to no end.

Now the kids were at the snake exhibit. Jacquel had been afraid of snakes as a small child, but when her brother Nick insisted on joining the older boys, Jacquel grew mad and stormed in. There, she saw Harry, Robbie, and Dudley, along with Nick, staring at a huge snake. Suddenly, the snake seemed to move. It crawled out of its glass encasement and slithered across the room.

Jacquel screamed. Vernon heard her and ran into the exhibit, shocked to see scores of people fleeing from the place. But there were also four boys who were standing near an empty snake encasement, laughing at poor Jacquel's predicament. Vernon turned to them and said, "All right, what happened here?"

"Nothing really, except for the the snake asked me to help it escape," Harry said innocently. Vernon frowned, then snatched the children and left the place. "Vernon, what's going on?" Petunia asked as soon as she had seen them.

"It's your brother, that's what" Vernon snapped, "and we're going to deal with him."

When they got home later that day, Vernon pounded on the door. "Evans!" he shouted as he continued to pound on the door. When Lee got to the door, Petunia yelled, "You've corrputed our nephew!"

"Who, Robbie?" Lee quipped.

"No, _Harry_!" said Vernon.

"It's already bad enough that you practically enslaved your own children and spoiled those Mobley twins," said Petunia, "but we will NOT have you going around telling Harry that it's ok for him to play with snakes."

"I see," said Lee. "I shall punish the children for this." But Robbie, Louise, and the twins didn't notice their father's anger as they happily climbed out the van and walked to their house. There, Lee and Mary whipped them and sent them to bed without supper as punishment for their suspossed misbehavior. The Mobleys, however, were allowed to spend the night with Harry. Vernon then said to Petunia when the children were sleeping, "I think it's time we got those children away from your brother."

* * *

And now, we shall introduce the characters:

**Juniper Caroline Dursley** & **Ian Boris Dursley**: the 2nd and 3rd children of Vernon and Petunia Dursley; they are also featured in several other fanfiction stories.

* * *

Well, we have the fourth chapter of the story. But here's the thing: since this is a fanfiction remake of _Harry Potter_, here's the thing: Harry will not be placed in either Slytherin or Gryffindor, and Dumbledore is nothing more than a manipulative jerk who will one day get what he deserved.

review, use constructive critism, but NO FLAMES!

next chapter: **A Letter**


	6. A Letter

Chapter 5: **A Letter**

Date: December 9, 2007

The 5th part of the story. Canon (BOO!), Fanfiction (YAY!)

Very soon, letters arrive at the Dursleys. Jacquel gets a letter, which says that she and Nick are to live at Hogwarts. Another letter says that Harry has been accepted into Hogwarts. Vernon and Petunia decided after the snake incident to send Harry to Hogwarts. Another letter arrives, this time concerning Dudley. After much debate, Dudley decides to go to Hogwarts. Meanwhile, McGonagall persuades Dumbledore to find and bring Jacquel and Nick to Hogwarts, but when Dumbledore refuses, his wife reminds him of his past sisns against the Romanov family and his failure to protect Irene Romanov, who is Jacquel's mother. Willamaerha Thristal, also a permanent resident , is now 15 years old, as is Amber Dumbledore. Will's abusive brothers are dead ans she wants to reconcile with her father, Mel. The Dursleys are now planning to get their nephews, niece, and the Mboley twins away from their abusive parents.

Have a happy story!

_Claire Violet Thorpe_

* * *

And now for the 5th part of the story:

The year was now 1991, and Minerva McGonagall was just about to send out hundreds of letters to potential Hogwarts students. But there was one problem: _what to do about a potential student named Jacquel Romanov_. _Should she attend Howarts based solely on her mother's name and nothing else_?

That question was answered in the form of Willamaerha Thristal, who had been a permanent resident of Hogwarts for the last 7 years of her life. She began attending Hogwarts soon after being disowned by her family. Will was placed in Hufflepuff. Not to be outdone by her best friend, Amber Dumbledore also stared classes at Hogwarts; only she was placed in Gryffindor. Now both girls were 15 years old and had just recently graduated from Hogwarts.

Albus Dumbledore showed up just as the last letter had been mailed. He said," It will be quite an interesting term without the girls in school."

"Maybe they could use a break," said McGonagall. "After all, they are 15 years old."

Dumbledore frowned and said, "But what really concerns me is that Romanov girl. I wonder if it would be right to admit her just because her mother once attended our school."

"Perhaps she could be magic," said McGonagall. "But magic or not, we are bringing her to Hogwarts."

"And what if I say no?" said Dumbledore.

"Then I would like to remind you that you caused the deaths of Paul and Samantha Romanov," said his wife. "I would also say that your stupidity caused the death of Irene Romanov as well. You owe it to Miss Jacquelyn to bring her to Hogwarts, maybe not as a student, but as a child who needs a proper home. And unless you want the entire Wizarding and muggle worlds to know that you practically wiped out the Romanov family, then I insist that you bring her to Hogwarts."

Meanwhile, two letters arrived at the Dursley residence. Harry danced around in glee, holding up his Hogwarts letter. Dudley was upset. He said, "Where is my Hogwarts letter? I want my Hogwarts letter!"

"Oh, please, Dudley," Jacquel snapped. "You always get jealous whenever Harry or I get something and you don't." But she had taken his Hogwarts letter and hid it in the bureau. Very soon, Vernon and Petunia were heard speaking in Vernon's office. Then they came out, much to the surprise of the children.

"We found this in the bureau," said Vernon as he handed Dudley the letter, "and I think it's best if we let Dudley decide if he wants to go to the magic school or not."

"Of course I want to go to the magic school," Dudley said, much to the chagrin of the older children. "Then it's settled," said Vernon. "And now to other business, which doesn't concern you children." The kids had no idea that Lee was abbusing their cousins and Vernon and Petunia were plotting to get the children out of that abusive home.

And as for Will, she was now the last living child of Melanus and Arista Thristal; her brother had all died in prison and Arista was also dead. But Mel was still alive and it was doubless that he missed his only daughter and he was upset to hear that Ares had disowned her rather than accept her decision to go to Hogwarts. Will also wanted to make contact with Mel for many years, but she feared Ares's retribution. And so, Will waited until her brothers' deaths before she sent the first of many letters to her father. But little did she know that when Mel answered back, family secrets would be exposed.

TBC...

* * *

Well, we have the fifth chapter of the story. But here's the thing: since this is a fanfiction remake of _Harry Potter_, here's the thing: Harry will not be placed in either Slytherin or Gryffindor, and Dumbledore is nothing more than a manipulative jerk who will one day get what he deserved.

review, use constructive critism, but NO FLAMES!

next chapter: **A Wizard's Life**


	7. A Wizard's Life

Chapter 6:** A Wizard's Life**

Date: December 12, 2007

The 6th part of the story. Beware: the story doesn't follow **Sorcerer's/Philospher's Stone**; it's a whole new story!

A few days before Harry and Jacquel's birthdays, Robbie Evans shows up. He says that Lee has gone too far and actually beat him, Felix, David, and Louise while Mary took the twins Solaris and Casper shopping. Vernon, having enough of hearing about Lee's cruelty, takes all the kids and shoves the family into the van and they all take off. They are later found at Petunia's old house. Within a few days, Hagrid the giant shows up. He tells Harry the sad story behind his parents' deaths. Petunia is very upset and she blames Lee for Lily's death. Hagrid also tells Jacquel that Dumbledore wants her and Nick to come live at Hogwarts. Jacquel is then given a tough choice: _stay with the Dursleys or go to Hogwarts_.

Have a happy story!

_Claire Violet Thorpe_

* * *

And now for the 6th part of the story:

July 26, 1991: It was just five days before the birthdays of Harry James Potter and Jacquel Victoria Romanov. Both children raced around the house, packing their things for a trip to the beach. Just as Vernon had put the last suitcase in the car, Robbie Evans showed up. He wasn't alone, for Louise and the twins were with him. The Mobleys were nowhere to be seen. "Whatever happened to you, Robert Carlyle Evans?" Vernon gasped as he looked at his nephew.

"Dad...he...he b-b-beat us. All of us. The twins too," Robbie stuttered. He had been crying for quite some time.

"And where is your mother?" Vernon snapped.

"Sh-she...she took th-the Mo-Mobleys sh-sh-shopping," Robbie said. Then he began crying once again. So did his siblings.

"What's going on?" Petunia shouted.

"Your brother went too far and actually beat those kids," Vernon said. "Get them into the car and I'll deal with him!"

And as Petunia went to put the kids in the car, Vernon remembered the many times Robbie had ran to him, begging for help whenever Lee was being mean to him, the many times he had called child protective services on Lee, and the many lies that Lee had told the social workers regarding the children. But no more.

Lee was lying in the living room, halfway drunk when his angry brother-in-law showed up. "I heard what you did to those children, Carlyle Evans," Vernon yelled as he looked at the other man. "I heard that you've beaten them. But no more. You're finished. Your days of being a parent are over."

And with that, Vernon got into the car and drove off. But instead of going to the beach, they instead went to Manchester and stayed there for a few days. There, Petunia took the Evans children to a doctor and had them treated for their injuries and Vernon called the police, hoping to put an end to their father's abusive ways permanently. But the other children still had no idea that their cousins were being beaten and abused by their parents. Jacquel, however, had a big decision to make.

July 30, 1991: The day before the birthdays of Harry and Jacquel. It had been four days since their beach vacation had been cancelled. That night, a giant showed up at the house. "Aaaaah! A giant!" Nick screamed as ran off, but Harry frowned at him. Hagrid settled himself onto a sofa and told his story: "_There was a time when the wizarding world was peaceful. Then You-Know-Who shows up, gathers followers, and went around killing muggleborn wizards and witches, squibs, and anyone else who got in their way. The Order of the Phoenix was formed to counter the attacks of those fiends. Then one night, HE shows up and kills both your parents..._" (Here, Petunia gasps in anger and sadness) "..._and he would have killed you as well, but he failed_..."

"What happened to him?" Jacquel asked.

"Some said that he died that very night. Others disagree. But what everyone knows is that Harry POtter defeated the Dark Lord," said the giant.

"But what of my family?" Jacquel asked.

"From what I was told, your parents Irene Slater and Mercutius Romanov were slain by Death Eaters in the aftermath of the Wizarding war, leaving you and your brother orphans," said Hagrid, "but even I don't think that's actually the truth. And your parents' identities are still being questioned to this very day by both wizards and muggles alike. But now comes the time for you to make a very important decision, one that will set the course for the rest of your life."

"And that decision is..." Jacquel wondered.

"If you're willing to live at Hogwarts," said Hagrid. "Professor Dumbledore has extended an invitation for you to come join us."

"And what about Nick?" For there had been no mention of Nicholas Romanov at all, nor was it said that Irene had any other children besides Jacquel for that matter. Or was Nick really Jacquel's brother? "We'll make arrangements for Mister Nick," said Hagrid, "but it's you they really want. So Miss Jacquel Victoria Romanov, or whoever you shall truly become, will you join us and study at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry?"

TBC...

* * *

Well, we have the sixth chapter of the story. But here's the thing: since this is a fanfiction remake of _Harry Potter_, here's the thing: Harry will not be placed in either Slytherin or Gryffindor, and Dumbledore is nothing more than a manipulative jerk who will one day get what he deserved.

review, use constructive critism, but NO FLAMES!

next chapter: A Necessary Tragedy


	8. A Necessary Tragedy

Chapter 7: A Necessary Tragedy

Date written: December 15, 2007

The 7th part of the story. Fanon 1, Canon 0

On the night of July 30, 1991, Harry realizes that he would be 11 years old in 10 minutes. The Evanses (Lee & Mary) who are far from missing their older children, are about to have their 5th child. Will decides to look for Mel against her father's wishes. Jacquel ponders her future and wonders what is behind the invite. The next day, the entire wizarding world gathers to celebrate the birthdays of its two youngest celebrities; but that day isn't without tragedy, as Lee and Mary are killed in a car accident on their way to the hospital and the twins suffered broken wrists. The baby survives, and is nicknamed Molly. With proper sorrow, Lee and Mary are buried and the Dursleys take the children in. But the house is already crowded and when the twins return, Jacquel decides that she and Nick will live at Hogwarts

Have a happy story!

_Claire Violet Thorpe_

* * *

And now for the 7th part of the story:

Harry spent 10 minutes staring at the clock. 10 minutes before his 11th birthday. The others had gone to bed, but Hagrid was still awake. Harry said to him, "What was behind you inviting Jacquel to Hogwarts?"

The giant sighed, then said, "I wasn' supposed to be tellin' yeh this, but the headmaster an' her family had bad blood between 'em, and he hopes by bringin' young Miss Romanov to Hogwarts he'd patch things up wit' 'em."

"But how can they reconcile?" Harry asked. "They're dead."

"Aye, that's right," said Hagrid. "But then again, we don't know if her parents are really dead. So we must wait and see if she decides to go."

But they had no idea that going to Hogwarts was Jacquel's only choice…

Lee and Mary didn't care about Vernon's threats; they were not even missing their older children at all. In fact, Mary was about to give birth to her 5th child. Unlike their last four children, Lee was determined to make sure that his youngest child would be "_normal_" and not like his/her older siblings, whom he believe were mentally disabled and not worth to be his children at all. The Mobley twins, for the most part, were "normal", but the children of Lee's sisters Lily and Petunia were magic.

It was the morning of July 31, 1991, the 11th birthdays of Harry Potter and Jacquel Romanov and wizards were dancing in the streets celebrating that moment, but Lee Evans didn't care. He had to get his pregnant wife to the hospital. So gathering up Mary and the twins, he drove the car as fast as he could so he could get to the hospital.

But they never reached the hospital; the car was involved in an accident and Lee and Mary were killed and Casper and Solaris suffered broken wrists.

Vernon and Petunia were notified of the accident. Leaving the house, they made their way to the hospital, where they found a small baby and the Mobley twins. Both twins had bandages on both their wrists. Casper said that their car was struck by a drunk driver and Lee had been recovering from his drinking binge when the accident occurred. "What's the baby's name?" Vernon asked. "Connor Ariel Evans," said Solaris.

Petunia shook her head; she knew that Connor was actually born a girl. She wrote down the name "_Matilda Liliana Dursley_" on the baby's birth certificate and in the spot where the parents' names were, she wrote down her own name and that of her husband's; she refused to even allow the names _Carlyle and Mary_ to be anywhere near the certificate at all, not the way they mistreated their older children. She was determined to make sure that Matilda would live a better life than Robbie, Louise, Felix, and David had lived.

Within a week, Carlyle and Mary Evans were buried. Harry frowned as he heard the priest read the final rites. He glared at his cousins, who were standing in a corner of the plot. _Robbie, Louise, Felix, and David should have been grateful that they actually _**WERE**_ raised by their parents, as sick and twisted and abusive as they were_, he thougt to himself. _The Dark Lord killed my parents and Jacquel never even got to meet hers at all_. Jacquel still was turning a question in her head.

The baby, who had been named Matilda, would never know who her real parents were, nor would she experience their love (or lack of it thereof). Within a few weeks, Robbie had nicknamed her as "_Molly_", claiming that Matilda was a bit of an old-fashioned mouthful and she didn't need that name at all. Jacquel had meanwhile reached her decision the moment the Mobley twins stepped into the house, not knowing that her choice would change the world forever…

TBC...

* * *

And now, we shall introduce the characters:

**Matilda Liliana (Evans) Dursley a.k.a. Molly**: the youngest child of Lee and Mary Evans. Her parents were killed in a car accident and her aunt Petunia wrote down her own name on the birth certificate, effectively depriving Mary of her rights as Matilda's mother and destroyed Lee's claim to fatherhood when she wrote her husband as Matilda's father.

* * *

Well, we have the seventh chapter of the story. But here's the thing: since this is a fanfiction remake of Harry Potter, here's the thing: Harry will not be placed in either Slytherin or Gryffindor, and Dumbledore is nothing more than a manipulative jerk who will one day get what he deserved.

review, use constructive critism, but NO FLAMES!

next chapter: Destiny


	9. Destiny

Chapter 8: **Destiny**

Date written: December 18, 2007

The 8th part of the story. (_seriously, folks, I'm getting tired of writing these blasted slogans! No more slogans after this chapter_!)

Within a few days, Jacquel sends a message saying that she wants to go to Hogwarts---but with conditions. The kids get their school supplies. But that night, Harry tries to talk Jacquel out of moving to Hogwarts, but she refuses to listen to him, claiming that her place was not at the Dursleys, but at Hogwarts. The next day, Harry, Dudley, Jacquel, and Nick say goodbye to the Dursleys and head to the train station, where they go to the Hogwarts Express. At Hogwarts, McGonagall makes it clear to Dumbledore that he will be nice to Jacquel Romanov or else she's exposing his crimes to the wizarding and muggle worlds.

Have a happy story!

_Claire Violet Thorpe_

* * *

And now for the 8th part of the story:

Jacquel went to the dining room armed with a pen and a notepad. She was now about to confirm her decision: "_I am thinking about attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry, but I will go on three conditions:_

_1. I wish to be placed in a dorm with the other children instead of my own room._

_2. I want Nicholas Romanov to come with me._

_3. I wish to know the truth about my own identity._

_However, if these conditions are not met, I will withdraw from Hogwarts and find another magical school."_

A few days after Jacquel sent her letter, she, Nick, Harry, and Dudley went to Diagon Alley and got their school supplies. That night, while Jacquel was packing her bags, Harry came to her and said, "You don't have to do this, Jacquel. You can stay here if you want. We can manage." "Harry," Jacquel said, "you have no idea how crowded this house has become. And besides, with me and Nick gone, there'll be less mouths for Petunia to feed."

"But Jacquel," Harry protested, but Jacquel stopped him. "I'm sorry, Harry, but I've made my decision." But little did both children know that thieir lives were about to change forever…

The next day, Petunia and the younger children waved goodbye as Vernon drove off, taking Harry, Dudley, Jacquel, and Nick with him. They were on their way to King's Cross, where they would take the train to Hogwarts.

And at the same time, Dumbledore and McGonagall were clearing several rooms for Jacquel and Nick. McGonagall said to Dumbledore, "Now I meant what I said about Miss Jacquel Romanov, Albus. Be nice to her or else I'll expose your crimes against the Romanov family." Dumbledore knew better than to argue with his wife. He knew that if his crimes were to be reveled, then his reputation as a great wizard would be completely and utter ruined.

And as the children boarded the train that would take them to Hogwarts, Jacquel though to herself _perhaps this is my destiny. To change the world and everything in it. But what of my family? Who am I? What is my purpose of being here_? And as Jacquel asked those all-too-important questions no one realized that her answer would shatter both wizarding and muggle worlds forever…

* * *

Well, now that we have the eighth chapter of the story, we'll now plot out how the rest of the story will go, since writing all these short synopsizes is giving me a headache: Harry does NOT meet the Weasleys, nor does he become friends with Ron or Hermione (Granger). Instead, he befriends Philip Dennison and Nina Barlow and he goes into Ravenclaw and not Gryffindor. Jacquel, however, befriends Ron, Hermione, and Neville (Longbottom) and goes into Gryffindor, but she won't be present very much in this story. Since this is the timeline of the events of "_Harry Potter & the Philosopher's Stone_" and yet this is a fanfiction remake, instead of finding the Philosopher's Stone, Harry and his friends are trying to solve a mystery surrounding Jacquel's hidden past and whether or not her parents are truly dead. So that's the first part of the 7-part story, which I'll be writing whenever I get a chance. See you soon with the next chapter!

review, use constructive critism, but NO FLAMES!

next chapter: **Friendships**


	10. Friendships

Chapter 9: **Friendships**

Date written: December 21, 2007

On the train, Jacquel was the one who befriends Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, and Neville Longbottom. Harry, Nick, and Dudley sit in the NEXT car and meet Philip Dennison, Duncan Snyder, and Nina Barlow. Jonathan Trichenberg is also going to Hogwarts with them, but Adrian is staying with the family who adopted him and Jonathan.

Now if you think that this is just another _Harry Potter_ rewrite, you're wrong. This time, we're doing things MY WAY! And if you don't like this story, then you can go someplace else. If not, then let's continue with this story.

Have a happy story!

_Claire Violet Thorpe_

* * *

And now for the 9th part of the story:

Jacquel went to the first car that she saw and there, she met Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, and Neville Longbottom. But that's not her story, and she won't be seen very much for a good while.

But as for Harry, he was about to follow Jacquel (_and once again repeat history and make this into another boring story_) when Dudley said, "Harry, let's get into this car."

Harry followed Dudley and Nick and they went to sit in the car. Already there were two boys and one girl. One they remembered. It was Jonathan Trichenberg, who once lived with Harry until he was removed from the Dursleys and adopted into another family; Constance Cavanaugh and Lola Burke were deemed to be unsuitable guardians of him and his brother, Adrian.

Jonathan said to them, "Hey guess what? I got adopted."

"No way!" cried Harry. "Really? How?"

Jonathan said, "You know about my aunt and grandmother and how they both fought over me and Adrian? Well, the judge decided that we're better off adopted in another family and to take that family's name but we didn't. But anyway, this is Philip Dennison and Nina Barlow; they live near me and yet we never even met until just now. Imagine that!"

"I see," said Harry. But then his eyes strayed outside the window. Philip looked at him and said, "Aren't you Harry Potter?" He had deep-set brown eyes, wavy, coffee-colored hair. He was tall, his skin was dark. He has a medium sized nose and a cleft chin. His wardrobe is unusual with purple and bright green. "Well of course I am," said Harry. "Who else would I be?" The girl too looked at him. She had narrow brown eyes that are like two acorns. Her silky, straight, amber hair is waist-length and is worn in a braid that went down her back. She was short, her skin is china-white. She has long-fingered hands and small feet. Her wardrobe is artistic and unusual, with a lot of red and orange.

Nina said, "I hear that you were attending Hogwarts this year."

"I am," said Harry. "And you?"

"Well," said Nina, "I'm the youngest in my family, and we moved here from America."

"Why'd you leave?" asked Dudley.

"Because of my brother, Nickolas," said Nina. "He was mentally disabled and my parents refused to put him in an institution, as required by the city law. So they came here." To Philip, she said, "What's your story?"

Philip said, "Well, I too was born in America, but my parents moved here because they hated life in America."

"Well," said Jonathan. "My parents are dead, so it's just me and my brother Adrian. Any siblings, either of you?"

Dudley said, "Well, there's Junie and Ian. And my cousins."

"Well," said Harry. "Besides me, anyway."

"Not the Mobleys," said Dudley, "but the Evans. You know, Robbie, Louise, Felix, David, and Molly."

Philip said, "I don't have any brothers or sisters. My parents came from incessantly large families and they just deliberately refuse to have a second child after me."

Nina sighed and said, "Besides my brother Nickolas, I have Nathan, Nelson, Nigel, Nolan, Nanette, Nadine, Nickolas, the twins Nader & Norwood, the triplets Natalie, Noel, & Noemi, Noah, and then of course, me."

"How does your mother manage to keep up with all of you?" asked Jonathan. "Especially since all your names start with N?"

"Don't ask," said Nina. "You don't want to know."

When they reached the school, the kids couldn't help but notice that there were nearly 700 people standing there. And one of them nearly knocked Harry over.

Harry turned to the boy and said, "Uh, do you mind?"

"Sorry," said the boy. "I'm Duncan Snyder," he said.

"Harry Potter," said the boy.

"Harry Potter??? As in THE Harry Potter?" cried someone who was coming behind Duncan.

"And your name is?" Harry said.

"Her name's Candice Thorpe," said Duncan. Candice said, "I can't believe that you're actually here, Harry. Like seriously. No one told me that you'd be here."

"Ignore her," said Duncan. "She's nuts. Her whole family is nutters. They lock themselves away from the outside world. It's a miracle her parents even let her go to Hogwarts in the first place."

Candice was about to say something when a voice rang out, "FIRS' YEARS THIS WAY!!!" It was Hagrid and he was calling everyone to the boats. Harry barely caught a glimpse of Jacquel as he boarded the boat that would take him across the lake and to Hogwarts.

* * *

And now, we shall introduce the characters we will be seeing in this story:

1. **Philip Dennison**: Philip is the only son of Georgianna and Harland Dennison. Harland and Georgianna left their home in Selma, Alabama soon after Philip's birth and came to London, England. Philip is more like Hermione because he is a muggle born wizard.

2. **Nina Barlow**: Nina is the youngest child of Reinaldo and Deena Barlow; her family had been viewed in America as "blood-traitors" because of their association with muggles and their refusal to put Nickolas (the 7th child) in a mental institution. Nina is a bit like Ron, but don't call her a female Ron wannabe.

3. **Duncan Snyder**: Duncan is the oldest child of Tessa and Jarvis Snyder; his younger siblings are Ignacio and Catriona. Duncan is a half-blood, for his father was a wizard but his mother was a muggle.

4. **Candice Thorpe**: Candice is the middle child of Phyllis and Edmund Thorpe; her siblings are older sister Annabelle and younger brother Emerson. The 9th granddaughter of Louis Thorpe, whose rumored association with Gellert Grindelwald led to the Thorpe family being labeled as "blood-traitors", Candice has a lot of herself to prove if she is going to survive and succeed at Hogwarts.

* * *

subscribe, review, use constructive critism, but NO FLAMES!

next chapter: **Gryffindor or Slytherin**


	11. Gryffindor or Slytherin

Chapter 10: **Gryffindor or Slytherin**

Date written: December 27, 2007

When they get to Hogwarts, the kids are all sorted. Jacquel goes into Gryffindor, Jonathan and Dudley go into Hufflepuff, and Harry has to make the hard decision of either Gryffindor or Slytherin.

Hint: He chooses neither.

Have a happy story!

Claire Violet Thorpe

* * *

And now for the 10th part of the story:

Harry, Dudley, Philip, Nina, Jonathan, Duncan, and Candice all piled into a boat and the boat took off and headed towards Hogwarts. When they reached the school, Professor McGonagall came out and greeted them. "Welcome to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry," she said. "I am Professor McGonagall and your deputy headmistress as well as your transfiguration teacher. When we get to the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. Now follow me."

Professor McGonagall led the kids into the Great Hall. There were many wizards there, all teachers, students, and staff. They all cheered as they saw the kids. Harry saw that many of them were staring at him. He assumed that everyone knew that he was indeed Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived. But he left it alone; he would deal with that later. Right now, there were other things to take care of. Such as which house he was going to be placed into.

McGonagall picked up the Sorting Hat and said, "When I call yout name, please take the Sorting Hat and go to the house where you are assigned." Jacquel was called first; she was placed in Gryffindor. Dudley was placed (surprisingly) in Hufflepuff. Jonathan was also placed in Hufflepuff.

As each child was sent to a particular house (Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin), Harry wondered if any of the kids would accept him for who he really was. He knew that some of them would be his true friends, and some of them would only like him for his fame. He watched as Duncan, Candice, Nina, and Philip were sent to Ravenclaw and a shy boy named Kirkwood Matheson was placed in Hufflepuff.

"Harry Potter!" Just then, the sound of his name sent Harry hurtling back to reality. Everyone was looking at him. Harry approached the stool warily, just as he approached Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia when they had to tell him the truth about his family. He sat down and the hat was placed on his head. The hat said, "You're the famous son of James and Lily Potter. Wonderful thing you did defeating that Dark Lord. But alas for you, you have lived with your relatives, one who is a muggle, and the other who did an unwise thing by leaving Hogwarts."

Harry frowned. The hat said, "However, I believe that you'll do fine in Slytherin."

Harry shook his head. "No thank you; I won't go into Slytherin." Everyone in Slytherin was shocked.

"No?" said the hat. "What about Gryffindor?"

"I don't think I can go into Gryffindor," said Harry. The Gryffindors were also shocked; Dumbledore frowned and stared at the hat in anger.

"You don't want to go into Slytherin, and you don't want to go into Gryffindor," said the hat, "but there is a third choice, you say?"

"There's always a third choice," said Harry.

"Very well," said the hat. "RAVENCLAW!"

Harry stood up and walked over to the Ravenclaw table amid cheers from most of the school, save for Gryffindor and Slytherin. They weren't too happy about this; Harry had chosen Ravenclaw over them. But Harry didn't care; he was too busy shaking hands with Professor Dumbledore, who was the Headmaster of Hogwarts and Professor Flitwick, who was the head of Ravenclaw House and sitting with his new found friends. Jacquel frowned and turned away. Draco Malfoy sighed and said, "So Harry Potter would rather be a Ravenclaw? A Ravenclaw?!"

"God help us all," muttered Professor Snape.

"Maybe it's for the best, Severus," said Amber as she sat beside him. "I believe that Ravenclaws can do great things."

"So can Hufflepuffs," said Will. "Remember, I was one."

Dumbledore sighed and let Harry have his moment. But he did have plans to make sure that Harry would be in Gryffindor, one way or another. He wasn't about to let his Golden Boy be a Ravenclaw.

* * *

subscribe, review, use constructive critism, but NO FLAMES!

next chapter: **Strange Things**


	12. Strange Things

Chapter 11: **Strange Things**

Date written: December 30, 2007

Jacquel and Nick think something is wrong when they spot a strange shadow in the Great Hall.

Note: _This and the following chapters will be quite short, as I'll be writing as fast as I can and the story will progress faster this way. I apologize in advance for the inconvenience._

Have a happy story!

Claire Violet Thorpe

* * *

And now for the 11th part of the story:

Jacquel sat by herself in Gryffindor; she had been too shy to make new friends as a child, and this was no better. Why was she in Gryffindor to begin with? That had not been part of the deal that she had made with Dumbledore. She glared at the old man until he spoke up.

He said, "I believe the Sorting Hat had made a mistake. Miss Jacquel Romanov was supposed to go into Slytherin." The Gryffindors protested and the Slytherins mocked as Jacquel made her way to the Slytherin table.

Snape smirked at McGonagall, but Amber slapped his arm. "Behave yourself," she warned sternly.

McGonagall said, "Severus, this is not the time to be keeping records..." but Snape ignored her. He did not trust McGonagall and he detested Albus Dumbledore.

He reached out to the frightened girl and said, "You must be the little brat who they thought so lowly of. I do not approve of any orphans with mysterious pasts to darken the halls of Slytherin house, but in your case, I will have to make an exception."

He made Jacquel sit near the edge of the table and went back to his meal. Jacquel stared at Nick, who was sitting next to Dumbledore. Both stared at each other, and then at a strange shadow that stood in the corner of the Great Hall. No one else noticed the shadow, as they were too busy eating and talking.

But as for Jacquel, she had no idea that the strange shadow was about to change her life...

* * *

Note: Ok, so I've decided to put Jacquel in Slytherin instead of Gryffindor. It's nice that I have tons of fics of her being friends with Ron, Hermione, and Neville, but this time around, I'd like her to be friends with Malfoy and his gang. It's starting to become rather annoying that they fight like all the time. But making them be friends might put that cliche to rest. But Harry will be friends with Ron and Hermione to a certain extent, but Jacquel will never befriend them at all. So there you have it.

subscribe, review, use constructive critism, but NO FLAMES!

next chapter: **The First Night at Hogwarts**


	13. The First Night at Hogwarts

Chapter 12: **The First Night at Hogwarts **

Date written: January 3, 2008

Harry thinks of his dead parents while preparing for bed.

Note: _This and the following chapters will be quite short, as I'll be writing as fast as I can and the story will progress faster this way. I apologize in advance for the inconvenience. _

_ Have a happy story! _

_ Claire Violet Thorpe_

* * *

And now for the 12th part of the story:

That night, Harry sat in his new dorm watching everyone go off to bed. While most of them had parents, Harry felt like he was the odd one out. He said to Hedwig (who came with him), "I know most of my friends have parents, but what about me? Why can't I have parents at all and they can?"

The owl hooted and Harry set her on his arms. They sat on the windowsill and Harry thought of his parents, the parents who died for him. He had heard enough stories about Lily from Petunia (_since Lee's stories about her were mostly lies_), but James had no siblings. And Harry didn't know anyone who knew James Potter at all.

Presently, Nick came to him and said, "Harry, you need to see this." Harry slipped out of bed and went with Nick to the trophy room, making sure that Filch, the caretaker, did not catch them. There, placed in front of a huge cup, was a picture of James Potter and the words "_Winner of the Quidditch Cup, 1976. James H. Potter_."

Harry could hardly speak as he saw his father's name. Tears poured down his eyes. For the first time in his life, he wished his parents were still alive.

* * *

Note: Well, that's all I have to say for now, but we'll be jumping ahead a few weeks because that's where the main action is at.

subscribe, review, use constructive critism, but NO FLAMES!

next chapter: **Life at Hogwarts**


	14. Life at Hogwarts

Chapter 13: **Life at Hogwarts**

Date written: January 6, 2008

Over the next few weeks, Harry, Phil, and Nina explore the school, but somehow get tangled in a mystery.

Note: _This and the following chapters will be quite short, as I'll be writing as fast as I can and the story will progress faster this way. I apologize in advance for the inconvenience. _

_ Have a happy story! _

_ Claire Violet Thorpe_

* * *

And now for the 13th part of the story:

Within a few weeks, Harry, Phil, and Nina found themselves constantly in the library.

In life, Harry had never taken much of an interest in reading, but then again, there seemed to not be too much to be expected of him to enjoy a good life.

A few days after being admitted into Ravenclaw, the brat known as Draco Malfoy and his cronies Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle cornered him, Phil, and Nina in the halls. Malfoy said to him, "So that's Harry Potter, the _Boy-Who-Lived-to-become-a-Ravenclaw_. Such typical craziness."

"Yeah, but it's better than being a rich jerk like _you_," Nina snapped.

"Barlow, isn't it?" Malfoy snapped as he looked at Nina. "The biggest blood-traitor family in the wizarding world, perhaps even bigger than the Weasley family, it seems."

"I'd watch it if I weere you," Phil warned him.

"A mudblood?" Malfoy laughed. "I'm surprised they even let you in here..."

"Leave them alone!" yelled the kid named Kirkwood Matheson. "You're such a jerk to begin with, Draco Malfoy, so why even bother picking on them?"

"Awww, defending these little bookworms, eh, Kirkie?" Malfoy snapped.

Just then, Kirk slapped him across his face and said, "I'd watch it if I were you. You know not what I am capable of."

He walked off and Harry and the others followed him. "You slapped Draco Malfoy?" Candice cried out as she bounced towards them with Duncan in tow. "You are so brave, Kirk! Somebody needed to deal with him; I was getting sick of him acting like such a stupid jerk."

"And I heard his father was in you-know-who's inner circle!" Duncan said as the kids giggled.

"I heard that!" Amber Dumbledore snapped as she walked towards them. "Anyway, should you children be in class?"

Harry took the hint and said, "Well, we were, but we have some work to do in the library."

"And I'm on my way to Ancient Runes," said Kirk.

"So get there," Amber snapped.

Not wanting to take any further chances, Harry and the others made their way to the library. When they got to the library, Candice said, "Well, I'm not one for propriety, but that Malfoy kid has got to be dealt with."

"He's such a jerk," said Nina. "And why Professor Snape has him as his favorite student we don't know why..."

The conversation carried on as Harry walked into a section of the library with the intent on finding a book. But when he got there, he could overhear two girls speaking. one of them had dark hair which reached his waist. He know who it was.

"You're sure about this, Jacquel?" said the girl.

"I swore I saw that shadow on the night of the Sorting Ceremony," said Jacquel, "but how and why it's here I don't know."

"Harry, what are you doing?" cried Phil.

"Yeah," said Nina, "what's going on here?"

"I don't know," said Harry, "but I have a feeling we're about to discover something I don't know existed."

* * *

Note: And so I end this with a cliffhanger. What will Harry discover? And why was Jacquel hiding in the library? You'll find out soon enough!

subscribe, review, use constructive critism, but NO FLAMES!

next chapter: **Halloween Caper**


	15. Halloween Caper

Chapter 14: **Halloween Caper**

Date written: January 9, 2008

It's Halloween at Hogwarts, and a troll attacks!

Note: _As you can tell, I'm putting the breaks on any Harry Potter fanfics that I'm writing for a good while, because I want to focus more on my original writings and writing for other fandoms and I don't want to be known for just my Harry Potter fanfiction stories. I do hope you can understand where I'm coming from. _

_ I do apologize in advance for the inconvenience. _

_ Have a happy story! _

_ Claire Violet Thorpe_

* * *

And now for the 14th part of the story:

Halloween had come to Hogwarts.

Harry realized that his parents had been killed around that time 10 years ago by the Dark Lord and he grew wary. Phil and Nina tried to reassure him, but something just wasn't right. That day, they spent a good part of the day just wandering around the school. No one spoke to them. Even Duncan and Candice seemed to be worried about Harry and they tried to make that be known to him.

Well, as for costumes, Hufflepuff seemed to be the only house which seemed to embrace that tradition; no one in the other houses liked to dress up and even the teachers seemed to forgo the costume craze. But the entire Hufflepuff house was all decked out in costumes. Kirk's costume consisted of a smock of marigold cotton scattered with interlocking rings and a ice-blue wool cape, Jonathan's costume was a robe made of lavender cotton and patterned with tiny dots in bronze, and Dudley's costume was a robe of yellow cotton patterned with flowers and vines and a burgundy wool scarf.

As for the other houses, they all just wore their regular Hogwarts uniforms. Except for Draco Malfoy and his group, that was.

That night at dinner, all five kids were sitting around, trying to ignore the excited chatter of their fellow students as they discussed a real-life haunted house that the prefects had put together for Halloween. Harry kept looking to the Slytherin table, particularly at Draco Malfoy's group. The boys were all wearing robes of scarlet cotton sewn with flowers with a crimson silk armband and the girls were wearing gowns made from plain peacock blue gauze and with a maroon veil attached to their hair by golden tiaras.

Jacquel sat with Milicent Bulstrode, Pansy Parkington, and Daphne Greengrass. All the girls were wearing the blue-feather gowns and maroon veils, but Jacquel was also wearing a belt of braided gold with rhinestones attached in various places, with the buckle containing a very strange insignia. Sure Jacquel was known to have the double-headed eagle as part of her clothing, but the insignia consisted of an Ivory Nester. This dragon has a thin, short body. Its scales are beige, shading to lighter on its underside and getting much thicker around its head. This dragon has long limbs with four splayed digits on each foot. It has large, wide-set wings running from its shoulders to the end of its tail. A row of spines runs from the base of its skull to its shoulders. This dragon's head is elongated and it has a huge mouth with fine, sharp teeth. It has deep-set eyes that are smoke-gray. A series of tentalce-like tendrils sprouts from its chin. A hornlike projection juts straight out between its nostrils.

_Dragons_? Harry thought to himself. _But why would Jacquel be wearing something that has a dragon on it when she clearly is an eagle_?

He was about to ask her that question when a scream from Professor Quirrell cut into his thoughts. "THERE'S A TROLL IN THE DUNGEONS!!!" he screamed.

Everyone immediately freaked out and ran away. Professor Dumbledore waved his wand and yelled "SILENCE! WE WILL LEAVE IN AN ORDERLY FASHION! Prefects, take the students back to their dorms. All teachers must go to the staff room and we'll deal with this troll."

The prefects of Ravenclaw, who were named Josephine Britton and Christopher Hendrickson, said, "We must head back to our dorms now."

_Well, there goes my plan to talk to Jacquel_, Harry thought to himself as the kids were led away from the Great Hall and back to Ravenclaw Quarters, where the students who were placed in Ravenclaw stayed during their time at Hogwarts. Once there, the meal was completed, but the haunted house trip was unfortunately cancelled, much to the chagrin of almost everyone in Hogwarts.

Classes were cancelled for nearly 3 days as Hagrid had to be called in to assist with capturing and subduing the troll. Harry couldn't even go to the library and look up anything about the Ivory Nester, which made him very upset. He didn't even know what Jacquel was talking about in the library when he overheard her that day, and what was that shadow she was talking about?

Just then, Hagrid came to Ravenclaw Quarters and said to everyone, "I've got some good news; the troll has been captured." Everyone cheered upon hearing the news. "But there are some bad news..." he said again. The cheering subsided. "There have been rumors of a shadow lurking in the school. The Minister of Magic has taken some interest in this case and he is coming in a few days to check out this rumor. I suggest that all of you best behave yourselves."

"But why would the minister want to come here?" Candice cried out.

"He has been interested in the rumors for quite some time," said the giant. "In fact, a student had written to him weeks earlier describing what she had seen in the Great Hall on Sorting Night."

_Jacquel_, Harry thought to himself. _It had to be her. But why would she want to write about a shadow when she clearly doesn't even know what insignia she is wearing_? He made up his mind to ask her about it later.

"School is still closed for the weekend," Hagrid said again, "and on Monday, the minister will come." He left and Harry frowned; what was that shadow and why was it haunting Jacquel?

* * *

Note: The Philosopher's Stone NEVER happened; but that doesn't mean Harry didn't have an eventful first year at Hogwarts; in fact, he as a very dangerous mission to do. Namely, find out about that shadow that has been tormenting Jacquel.

subscribe, review, use constructive critism, but NO FLAMES!

next chapter: **Christmas**


	16. Christmas

Chapter 15: **Christmas**

Date written: January 12, 2008

Christmas is here, and Harry is on a mission...to find out what's wrong with Jacquel!

Note: _As you can tell, I'm putting the breaks on any Harry Potter fanfics that I'm writing for a good while, because I want to focus more on my original writings and writing for other fandoms and I don't want to be known for just my Harry Potter fanfiction stories. I do hope you can understand where I'm coming from. _

_ I do apologize in advance for the inconvenience. _

_ Have a happy story! _

_ Claire Violet Thorpe_

* * *

And now for the 15th part of the story:

It was now Christmas time.

Harry sighed as he watched his dorm mates pack their bags; almost everyone was heading home for the holidays. He had wanted to return to the Dursleys for Christmas, but Dumbledore refused to let him go.

Most of the students had opted to go home for the holidays due to the troll attack, but there were some who chose to stay at Hogwarts. Harry was among those who stayed. So was Jacquel. Dudley had gone home the first chance he had gotten.

In fact, they appeared to be the only children who were in the school, save for Nicholas, of course.

Harry frowned as he thought about Jacquel. They barely saw each other since the sorting a few months before and during that time, Jacquel had met several other people (NOT Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger; this is an alternative story, remember?) and their names were Peter Davison, Leonard Vaughan, and Sarah Bennett. All four would most likely be seen in the library.

In fact, Jacquel was sitting in a chair when Harry noticed her. He said, "So what are you thinking about?"

"Anything but why my family is dead," said Jacquel.

"Yeah," said Harry. "About that..."

Jacquel said, "You've been talking to Hagrid, haven't you?"

"Hagrid has been dropping clues about you when he's not talking about his pets or various monsters," said Harry. "In fact, I think he reveals more than he knows."

"Really?" said Jacquel. "And here I was beginning to think that he was an oversized five-year-old."

"Well," said Harry. "Since it's the holidays, what shall we do first?"

"I say we go prank those twin idiots," said Jacquel. "What were their names again? Fred and George? I've had enough of their pranks to last me the rest of the term."

Harry nodded and the two set off for Gryffindor Tower. But on their way to the tower, they bumped into Kirk Matheson. He said, "Uh, do you mind? I have somewhere I need to be."

"Silly Ravencraft," Jacquel said as she stared at him. "You are all the same; you run around like a chicken with its head cut off and you all never seem to relax. You're going to have a heart attack if you don't stop now."

"Who are you to address me in that way, Slytherin?" Kirk snapped at her.

"My name is Jacquel Romanov, not that it would matter to a piece of scum like you," Jacquel answered back stubbornly. Harry gasped as he heard those words. _Who was she? _He thought to himself._ Why is she acting like this? Could her requesting to be placed in Slytherin have anything to do with her attitude?_

That Christmas, Harry found himself sitting in the Ravenclaw Common Room. Kirk was still there, along with some other students, but no one spoke to him.

Harry was twirling some kind of medallion in his hand. There was a note attached to the medallion, which read, "_Irina handed this to me before her death. You must return it to her daughter._" The medallion was not of the double-headed eagle, but the face of a wolf.

Wolf?

Harry was not sure what was going on here. What was a wolf medallion doing in Jacquel's possession? Was she not an eagle? He sat up and walked around the common room, searching for possible clues to where the wolf medallion came from. But there was nothing on wolves in the room. Harry would have to make a trip to the library later.

The next day, however, he found himself just staring out the window. Jacquel and a few of the kids who stayed were outside having a snowball fight. Harry wondered if he should have gone home when he had a chance. Maybe he would see Robbie Evans. The poor kid hadn't been the same since the deaths of Lee and Mary a few months before. He might need someone to talk to, seeing as both of them were orphans.

But how dare he compare himself to his cousin; Harry had to grow up without any parents, but Robbie was abused by Lee and Mary. How did that happen? Harry also wanted to see Louise, Felix, David, and little Molly as well.

All too soon, Jacquel came to him, saying, "Hagrid left something for you." Harry reached into the bag and pulled out a small box. He said, "Hey, there's no way to open the box?"

"Probably not," said Jacquel as she stared at the box. "I bet that you have to earn the key first. That's how these things work."

Harry frowned, but he knew that Jacquel was right. Perhaps Hagrid wanted him to figure out the clues first before being able to open the box. But what was in the box that was so important that he couldn't open it with a key?

Jacquel frowned; she knew that the vacation would soon end and that she and Harry would have to go back to their separate lives as Slytherin and Ravenclaw.

But for now, she would just enjoy this vacation.

* * *

Note: The Philosopher's Stone NEVER happened; but that doesn't mean Harry didn't have an eventful first year at Hogwarts; in fact, he has a very dangerous mission to do. Namely, find out about that shadow that has been tormenting Jacquel.

subscribe, review, use constructive critism, but NO FLAMES!

next chapter: **The Legacy**


	17. The Legacy

Chapter 16: The Legacy

Date written: January 15, 2008

Harry discovers a secret about Jacquel and tells her the truth about her family. Things don't go as planned...

* * *

Here's the 16th part of the story:

Harry was unsure of how to approach this situation.

Sure, he and Jacquel did not see each other as much as they could due to the current situation at Hogwarts, but he knew that he needed to give Jacquel the wolf pendant.

But what was the pendant doing in Irene's possession to begin with?

Phil said to him one day when they were in the library, "Sooner or later, you'll have to give that pendant to her. It belongs to her."

"But what does it all mean?" Harry asked. "For all I know, it could be poisonous and possibly kill her. I don't want to hand Jacquel her death if it can be helped."

"Of course you don't," said Nina as she came to join them at their table. "Bad things have happened to people who receive strange jewelry that has been cursed. My brother Nickolas is proof of that. My mother received a ring for her birthday, but the ring's curse affected her baby."

"So why has your family been labeled blood traitors?" Phil said to Nina.

"Because my father stood up for a muggle woman who was being tormented by the dark wizard Velonus," said Nina. "The muggles had been coerced into handing her over. My dad and several others help her escape. He also slew the evil wizard and was responsible for many wizards being arrested and sent to Dhahri prison. But Velonus made him pay for that by attacking Nickolas before he was born. The people begged my mom to put him away in a mental hospital, but she refused and our family left our home soon after the fight."

Harry said, "Well, that's interesting and all, but I still don't know the meaning behind the jewelry that has the wolf on it."

Nina took the necklace and looked at it. She said, "Maybe the necklace is a part of Jacquel's history. Has she ever told you about where she came from?"

"No," said Harry. "She came to live with my relatives after her guardian disappeared."

"It was a huge scandal regarding Nichollo's family history," said Phil. "He probably had to protect Jacquel by hiding her with some people who would not reveal her secrets. He then disappeared before the secret could be exposed."

"I thought he was arrested for certain crimes," said Harry.

"That's what they want you to think," said Nina. "There was an investigation made some years ago and they found no evidence if any crime whatsoever. The Scotland Yard was called in and they found no trace of Nichollo anywhere."

"And besides, the Romanovs were eagles, not wolves," said Phil as he read from a book. "The Romanov family had died out in 1918 with the murders of Czar Nicholas II and his entire family. Jacquel's grandfather wasn't originally named Paul Romanov, but Alexander Kapustin. His father was a minor Russian nobleman, but his mother was...a werewolf."

"Werewolf?" Harry and Nina cried out in terror. They had heard several dark stories before in history class, but none of those stories involved werewolves. At least to their knowledge.

Phil continued, "This book says that Alexander's father Michael Andreevitch Kapustin married a poor young woman named Valacia Allauevia. At that time, she was just 18 while her husband was in his late 30's. As far as this story goes, the couple had their only child named Alexander on September 22, 1903. But the next year, being the fact that it was a sunny day and nothing out of the ordinary was happening, Michael and his wife were killed in a boating accident while they and their son were out on the lake and all."

"That's terrible!" Nina cried out.

"It is," said Phil. "So then, here we have young Alexander, who was now an orphan and living among his mother's people, and they had been rudely referred to as Gypsies with connections to some werewolf tribe living in eastern Russia. Michael's older brother could not have done the boy a greater kindness by bringing him to the royal family to live among decent people."

"So was his mother a werewolf?" Harry asked.

"Yes," said Phil as he set the book down and looked at the locket. "This locket represents the tribe that Valacia was part of; her mother Ysenia was the youngest daughter of the famed werewolf Magrious Hoffelbax."

"So it does belong to Jacquel, since she is the rightful heir and all," said Harry. "But I don't understand this: why go through all this trouble just to hide her identity when the truth was plainly there?"

"Nichollo suspected that there was something odd about Jacquel and as such, he decided that she was better off not knowing the truth until it was the proper time."

Just then, Duncan and Candice came to them and said, "We have to get going now. Professor McGonagall is not very patient today."

"Of course," Harry said as he put the necklace away and gathered his things. Phil and Nina carefully made their notes and then all five of them rushed out of the library and headed straight to Professor McGonagall's class.

Like it or not, a student's work is never done.

* * *

That night, Harry sat up in bed, wondering about his own legacy. He knew that both his parents had gone to Hogwarts from Hagrid's story, but James Potter and Lily Evans were both in Gryffindor.

But for some reason, Harry had chosen to go to Ravenclaw, the house where most of its members would often study in the library. But was he really a raven?

He stood up and read the names of famous Ravenclaws on a tapestry that was over the fireplace, noting the name _Petunia Evans_. Was Petunia a Hogwarts student at one point in her life? If so, then why had she quit? What had caused her to abandon her magical education?

Harry stood there for a long time, wondering what he was going to do next. He needed to plan his future, one that was going to be just a normal Hogwarts student. No drama, no far-fetched plans, and certainly no getting involved in other people's business.

_From now on, I will be a Ravenclaw and I will put my house first before anything else_, Harry vowed. _I will focus on my studies. I will make my parents proud._

"Harry?" Jacquel had walked into the room and saw him. "Why are you still up?"

Harry said nothing, but handed her the necklace and Phil's notes. "What is this?" she cried out.

"Your family legacy," said Harry. "Your grandfather was not Paul Romanov nor was he Paul Ulrich. His name was Alexander Mikhailovitch Kapustin."

"Really?" Jacquel gave him a strange look. "Then explain to me why people are claiming him as a Romanov? I really don't know about that."

Harry frowned as Jacquel stared at him. "So why do I have the feeling that I have been deceived? Shall I inform Dumbledore about this?"

"No, please don't," Harry cried out despite himself.

"And why not?" Jacquel snapped.

"Well," Harry stammered as he tried to explain himself. "Dumbledore doesn't seem like the man we thought that he was. I don't think that you should be here at all. Without a doubt, I don't think that you are a real witch."

"Seriously!" Jacquel snapped as she glared at him.

Harry said, "Well, I hate to be the wet blanket around here, but it's the truth."

"So, if you are aiming to be a Ravenclaw, then I am a full-blown Slytherin," Jacquel snapped in anger. "And if that's the case, I insist that you leave here now before I hex you."

She stormed from the room without another word.

Harry frowned as he considered what Jacquel had said to him. He was no Gryffindor; he was a meek little Ravenclaw. She had become a Slytherin and that meant that she would no longer be his friend.

Not until they had left Hogwarts for the summer, that was.

* * *

Hmmm...there goes a friendship.

Or maybe not.

Review & subscribe if you want more of this story!


	18. Orphans Often Live Terrible Lives

Chapter 17: Orphans Often Live Terrible Lives

Date written: January 18, 2008

Harry continues to live as a Ravenclaw as he wrestles with being an orphan. He and Jacquel clash on several occasions.

Here's the 17th part of the story:

The months rushed by quickly and it was now mid-April.

Harry had stuck to his goal of remaining a Ravenclaw and staying out of other people's business. He, Phil, and Nina spent most of their time in the library or the common room. Sometimes, Duncan and Candice would join the group.

Harry was pushing himself to succeed since his fight with Jacquel a few months ago. As far as he had heard, Jacquel was no meek kid, but a cold-hearted Slytherin. She was often spotted hanging out with Draco Malfoy and his gang or with her own friends. Whenever the Ravenclaws and the Slytherins had their classes together, Harry and Jacquel kept to opposite sides of the classroom.

One day, however, Professor Snape partnered them up for an assignment in Potions class. Despite the protests from both students, Snape stood firm with his decision. He said to them, "You two are the most intelligent students in my class, well, next to that pathetic Granger girl anyway. But you two are to work together on this assignment and if one thing is out of line, I will be docking points from Ravenclaw."

Phil said to him, "I feel sorry for you, man. You have to work with her."

Nina said, "I feel bad for you then, Phil. You have to work with that spoiled brat Draco Malfoy."

Phil shot back, "And you have to work with his girlfriend Pansy Parkinson. That girl is such an ugly pug-faced…" He would have continued the insults if Pansy had not shot him a hateful glare, which had shut him up immediately.

"I suggest that you all find your partners and get to work right now," said Snape. Immediately, the students began grabbing their partners and scrambling to their stations. To Harry, he said, "And that goes for you too, Mister Potter." Harry frowned, but eventually he found Jacquel and they immediately began working.

That wasn't the first time they had come together face-to-face in class. There was herbology class with Professor Sprout and as per Professor Snape's request, she had Harry and Jacquel partnered up for a class project. Phil ended up with Vincent Crabbe and Nina had Millicent Bulstrode.

Several other teachers, all who had heard about how Snape was dealing with Harry and Jacquel, took advantage of this partnering arrangement and they would organize projects for the kids to work on with their partners. And Harry and Jacquel were forced to be partners in every single one of those projects.

One day, Harry, Phil, and Nina were grouped with Jacquel, Daphne Greengrass, and Blaise Zambini on a school project. Kirk (who was also working on a school project in the library) walked by them as they were sitting in the library and said to them, "You guys all right ?"

"Like how?" said Phil. "It's like every other week, we have to be partnered up with the Slytherins on a certain project. I wonder why that had to happen."

"Well," said Candice as she was going toward her table, "I can't say that Professor Snape really has it in for you, Harry. You and Jacquel both. He's pushing the both of you together for a very good reason."

"I hope it's not because they're orphans," said Phil. Everyone stared at him. "What I meant to say was that they have had a fight a few months ago and aren't speaking to each other. I wonder why the fight had to happen."

"I hope it wasn't because of what you gave Jacquel, wasn't it?" said Candice.

"Like that necklace, you mean," said Harry.

Just then, Professor Snape and Professor Flitwick were spotted walking towards their table. Snape said to Harry, "I do hope that you plan to spend quality time working on your project with your partners and not fight with them."

"How did you-" Harry gasped as he turned to face the older wizard.

"I know about your little fight with Jacquel Romanov and I heard that you two aren't getting along," said Snape. "So Filius and I arranged for you two to partner up on several projects."

"I wonder if Dumbledore knows about this," Phil thought out loud.

"I have approved of this," said Dumbledore as he showed up in the library. He looked at Harry and said, "I have heard that you and Miss Romanov had a bit of a spat and I wanted you two to patch up your feelings and restore your friendship."

"Why would you want to do that, professor?" Jacquel snapped as she came toward the table with Blaise and Daphne in tow. "He's a Ravenclaw and I'm a Slytherin. Do you not see the folly that is before you? I'm an orphan who will do anything to succeed. He's just an orphan who studies a lot. We may be orphans and such, but we had agreed earlier at the beginning of the term that we would put the fact that we were orphans aside and focus solely on our schoolwork. Whether we would have gone into Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, or Slytherin, it mattered not, just as long as we were to fully embrace our chosen house and not let it define us."

She glared at the old man and said, "Now if you'll excuse me, I have a project to do." And with that, she, Blaise, and Daphne took their places at Harry's table.

Snape said to the other kids, "I suggest that you all get to work right now." Students everywhere began scrambling to their tables and began working. Candice said, "I'll meet up with you guys later," as she went to join Duncan and their other partners at their table.

As they worked silently on their projects, Harry took a chance and stared at Jacquel. Her hair, which had been brown for most of their lives, was beginning to turn silvery-blond. The blond hair of Irina's family. Her eyes were a silvery green color. Was Jacquel meant to be a snake? After all, the Slytherin colors were silver and green.

Jacquel was cunning and very smart, which he had learned to his dismay. She was a very good reader where Harry didn't like books at all. Jacquel preferred fantasy and science fiction while Harry was a realist. Both of them were orphans, but they saw life differently.

For Harry, it was a reminder that his parents were dead and the Dark Lord was the villain who killed them. There was nothing much that he could do about it, save for living with relatives that did not like magic or believe in magic at all. No matter how kind they appeared to be, Harry know that the Dursleys would never accept him as one of their own.

Jacquel was of a different mindset. She had a mysterious past and relatives that she never knew existed, even if none of them claimed her at all. She did not dwell on the fact that she was an orphan, nor would she think about the fact that her parents were dead. Not when she learned that the parent she had who died was her mother. There was almost no mention of her father at all.

After an hour's work, Professor Snape dismissed the kids, ordering them to return the next day. As the kids left the library, Harry glanced at Jacquel. She glared at him back, not forgetting the fight that tore them apart several months ago. Harry decided that the first thing that he would do is to talk to Nicholas. He had not seen the boy in a long time and they certainly had not spoken to each other either. As far as he had heard, Nicholas was staying in with the Hufflepuffs until he could be sorted.

But little did Harry know that things were about to change for Nicholas as well …

That night, Harry slipped out of the Ravenclaw common room and wandered the school halls. Everyone was asleep, or someone would have noticed him. He frowned as he saw someone standing at the window. Nicholas was still there, and he had not seen Harry in a long time.

Nicholas said to him, "Harry, why have you not spoken to me?"

Harry said, "Well, seeing as your sister and I had a fight, she may have told you to never to speak to me."

"My sister's doings have nothing to do with me, or so have you," said Nicholas. "She is a snake, and a snake that she is. She is no longer of my concern."

Harry was shocked; Nicholas had all but given up on Jacquel. What had happened to him that would cause him to leave Jacquel he thought to himself. "Did she have a fight with you as well?" he asked.

"No," said Nicholas, "but all the same, the moment she chosen Slytherin house was the moment we ceased to be siblings. Dumbledore had wanted her to be a Gryffindor and you to be in Gryffindor as well. But in choosing your own houses, you've disrupted his plans for your lives. He is angry with you, and because you refuse to be friends, he is even angrier."

"So, I take it that Dumbledore had planned for us to be in Gryffindor?" Harry asked nervously.

"He has, and he is insisting that you two are in Gryffindor by the time your second term begins," said Nicholas. He took a deep breath and said, "I've been spying for him for several months now and I've been finding out how he had arranged for Irina's death and how Jacquel was to be raised. Not with her relatives, but in an orphanage. A terrible orphanage, that is. But she is Jacquel and that meant that she is smart and cunning."

"Not to mention cold and stubborn," Harry snapped.

"Be careful that you don't get along with her too well," said Nicholas. "It is not enough to wear the mask of a Ravenclaw; you must become a Ravenclaw inside and out. Embrace your true Ravenclaw nature and no one will doubt you. Jacquel has already made her choice and embraced her true Slytherin nature. But you still have not made your own choice about embracing your true nature."

"But what if I still want to be her friend?" Harry cried out.

In anger, Nicholas reached out and slapped him across his face. He said in a stern voice, "You are no better than Dumbledore if you dare to think that you were her friend! I said were, as you are living in the past. It's time for you to put aside your friendship with her and grow up. You need to find new friends and fast. When you do, be careful that you do not befriend anyone who may be working for Dumbledore. There could be many. If you see them, ask them this: '_Do you know Dumbledore personally?_' If they answer no, then you may befriend them. But if the answer is yes, then you will crush them where they stand. Show them no mercy because they will give you none."

Harry frowned and said, "Ok, I don't know exactly what is going on here, but how am I supposed to do that when I don't even know the concept of a Ravenclaw. I mean, what is it that we do?"

"Read and study a lot," said Nicholas. "How should I know? I don't go to this school."

"But you are at Hogwarts," Harry cut in.

"Not as a student," said Nicholas as he glared at Harry. "And from the way that I see it, I won't be attending Hogwarts ever."

Harry frowned at him. "Why not?" he asked.

"Because my name is really Bruce Freeport and I'm actually 25 years old," said Nicholas a.k.a. Bruce.

Harry was dumbfounded; was this a trick or was Nicholas telling him the truth. Either way, he needed to get to the bottom of this immediately. "Is this true?" he snapped as he stared at the older boy. "Is this who you are?"

"Yes," said Bruce as he hung his head in shame.

"And if what you say is true, then answer me this next question: why did you lie to me after all these years? Why did you lie to her?" Harry snapped at him in anger.

Bruce stood up and his Nicholas disguise fell away. "I'm sorry," he said at last. "I had no idea that this would happen. I was supposed to keep her safe and to lie about who I really was in order to do that. My parents were forced to get rid of me so that my younger brother could inherit everything. I didn't know that some little boy would come along and force me to reveal my true identity. What was I thinking to change my name and disguise myself as her brother? And as we all know, she has no brothers or sisters." Bruce clung to Harry's robes and began crying, "And if she finds out about this, then I'll be finished. Kaput. They will find me and end me."

Harry could not bring himself to feel sorry for Bruce's actions. He knew that lying was wrong, but to blatantly lie about being someone that he was not was one of the biggest crimes in the wizarding world, next to murder and spell enslavement. Bruce did not deserve anyone's pity.

Harry then said, "Please leave now and never return. And if you come back at all, I won't hesitate to inform Professor Dumbledore about who you really are."

Bruce stared at Harry for a long time before being forced to leave the school. Harry frowned as he went back to his room, telling himself _he lied. I can't believe that he lied to me. What was I thinking to trust him? I don't think I'll ever be able to trust anyone ever again, unless they came from my house._

He crawled into bed and thought about telling Jacquel about what had happened. He also thought about what Bruce had said regarding his friendship with the younger girl. Should he stop now while he still had a chance, or would he allow himself and possibly her to be played right into Dumbledore's hands?

And to that, Harry had no answer.

Well, looks like things are beginning to heat up! Review & subscribe if you want more of this story! 


	19. A Spy is Caught

Chapter 18: A Spy is Caught

Date written: January 21, 2008

After Harry exposes a con artist, he wrestles with telling Dumbledore the truth and befriending some other children who are in Ravenclaw.

* * *

Here's the 18th part of the story:

Harry didn't know what to do after his discovery of Bruce Freeport at Hogwarts and his subsequent banishment of the man after he had revealed several things about a certain someone named Jacquel Romanov.

Or was she really Jacquel Romanov to begin with?

Harry found himself going over Bruce's notes and concluded that not only did Bruce lie about his identity, but he had been spying on both him and Jacquel and reporting back to Dumbledore.

Harry was unsure of whether or not to confront the old man or to tell Jacquel the truth about her supposed "brother".

The next day, Harry found himself barely being able to concentrate on his project. Luckily, Jacquel and the other two Slytherins, Blaise and Daphne, were preoccupied and didn't notice him. He got up and left the table under the pretense of grabbing a book, but Phil and Nina knew that something was up. They got up and followed him.

"What's going on here?" Nina asked.

Harry said, "I don't know what to do. I mean, someone I had known all my life has been a liar and possibly a thief. Now who would do such a thing like that?"

"I wonder who," Phil repeated.

After Harry told them about Bruce and everything he had done, Nina said, "What kind of man does this to a poor orphan boy like you?"

"One who is stupid or evil, I guess," said Harry. "I told him all my secrets. I trusted him. But for some reason, he saw fit to take that trust and throw it back into my face. He was reporting to Dumbledore, no doubt."

"Why is it that we are often stabbed in the back by the ones whom we put our trust in?" said Phil.

"I don't know about that," said Harry. "But what I do know is that in this case, I believe that someone should know about this, but Dumbledore should find out about it indirectly. And there is to be no word about my involvement in this situation."

"The truth will come out no matter what happens, and no lies can stop it," said Phil. "The truth will set you free."

"Or it could kill you," Nina added.

"And some people would do anything to keep the truth hidden," Harry said in turn. He frowned as he saw Professor Snape walking towards their table. "We need to go back to our table before Professor Snape finds out that we're not working." And as quick as a flash of lightning, all three kids rushed back to their group before Snape came to their table and docked points from Ravenclaw.

* * *

Harry spent the rest of the day wondering whether or not to tell Dumbledore that he knew about Bruce Freeport when Duncan and Candice came to him. Duncan said, "I hear that you've found a traitor in your midst."

"Yes," Harry.

"What a shame," said Candice as she stared at him. "May his family suffer from misfortunes and disappointments."

"I wonder why he would give me advice about becoming a Ravenclaw only to turn around and try to betray me," said Harry. "What jest was he trying to pull?"

Duncan said, "For a good reason, he may be right. Loyalty to your chosen house comes first no matter what the situation may be. It doesn't matter if you have friends in other houses, but you must stick to your own house."

Candice added, "Maybe it's a good idea that we disassociate ourselves from Dumbledore and anyone who chooses to befriend him. Let's start with ourselves: do we know Dumbledore personally? For myself, I dare not, as my mother told me that Dumbledore had been an old friend of Gellert Grindelwald back before the Great War and my father's family refused to join them, pureblood though they were. So, what about you two? Do you know Dumbledore personally?"

"No," said Duncan, "because my parents think that Dumbledore is a whack job." He said to Harry, "What about you, Harry? Do you know Dumbledore personally?"

"I have," said Harry, "but only a little. I know Hagrid and that's saying something."

"Hagrid?" Candice cried out. "Harry, I implore you to be careful. He works for Dumbledore."

"And besides," Duncan piped in, "do you know what he is?"

"He's a half giant," Harry said.

"We don't know who he is or where he came from, but all we do know is that he works for Dumbledore and reports to him," said Candice. "You must be careful. In fact, we must all be careful."

Nina and Phil soon joined them. Phil said, "What's happening?"

"We're trying to root out who's friends with Dumbledore and who isn't," said Duncan. "Now, Phil, do you know Dumbledore personally?"

"I most certainly do not," Phil said. "My momma thinks that he's a weird old man who has no business running a school at all."

Duncan said to Nina, "Do you know Dumbledore personally?"

Nina said, "He tried to trick my parents into joining him when I was a kid. But my father told him that on no certain terms was he or any of his children going to be associated with a man who is associated with the Weasley family."

"That's all we want to know," said Candice, "and I wonder why they are allowed to attend Hogwarts to begin with if they are indeed blood-traitors."

"I know," said Nina. "My family was banished from their village because of their honor and their refusal to send Nickolas away when it would have conveinced them to do so. But the Weasleys and whatever they did have certainly taken the cake. That's why we shall never associate ourselves with anyone who is a friend to the Weasleys or Dumbledore."

Duncan said, "Then let's find out who in Ravenclaw is associated with Dumbledore or his cronies. And I have ways of weeding them out. Believe me."

Candice said, "What do you do to weed them out?"

Duncan said, "If they cringe at the mention of Dumbledore, then we know that they know Dumbledore personally and then we shun them."

"How long do we shun them?" said Nina.

"Until they know that Dumbledore isn't good and they should be loyal only to Professor Flitwick," said Harry. He looked around and said, "Speaking of which, let's try out this new theory on those two girls who are staring at us."

Cho Chang and Padma Patil were Ravenclaws, but had very little interaction with the "Blue Crew", as Harry, Phil, Nina, Duncan, and Candice were known as throughout Ravenclaw House. They frowned when the saw the group approaching them.

Duncan said, "This is just a simple test to see how loyal you girls are to Ravenclaw House."

"Oh, we're very loyal to Ravenclaw, thank you very much," said Padma.

"Why do you need to question our loyalty to our own house?" Cho snapped at them.

"Someone has been feeding secrets to Professor Dumbledore," said Harry. "Mainly secrets about me. I don't know who's doing it. I don't know how they're doing it. I don't even know why they're doing it. But all I do know is that someone has been telling my secrets to Dumbledore. That's got to stop and it's going to stop right now."

Cho stared at Harry with a crazy look upon her face. She said to him, "And what makes you think that *I* would sell you out to Dumbledore?"

"I don't even know him!" Padma shouted back.

"But I must implore you to answer this question," said Harry. "Do you know Dumbledore personally?"

"No we do not!" cried Padma. "All I do is do my schoolwork and that's it. I don't have time to indulge in some old man's sick fantasies."

"Same here," said Cho. "I just simply do my work and mind my own business."

"That's just what we wanted to know," said Harry. "You may go now."

After Cho and Padma left them, Candice said, "Maybe we should change our tactics a bit. Make them answer the question first, then explain why we're asking them the question. That'll make some of them come clean."

"Maybe," Nina said after her.

The group also questioned Marietta Edgecombe, Romilda Vane, Terry Boot, and many others from the first year. So far, they had all given out the same answer: "I just do my work and mind my own business."

Harry said, "I bet that if no one in Ravenclaw is spying on me, then I bet the Slytherins are."

"Yeah," said Phil. "I can't stand those snakes at all."

"So let's catch them," said Candice. "Who knows if Dumbledore is paying them to spy on you, Harry."

Harry said, "Wait. I think Jacquel is in Slytherin House and I don't think that anyone from there would be willing to sell her out for money."

"Indeed," said Candice.

Just then, Nina and Duncan came toward them with a young girl bound and gagged between them. "I saw her spying on us," Nina said, "so Duncan and I followed her around and caught her just as she was heading towards Dumbledore's office."

"I see," said Phil. "So, who is she?"

Candice ripped off the gag and everyone gasped at who they had found spying on them. "Aren't you that genius girl in Gryffindor?" she cried out.

"You're Hermione Granger," said Phil. He looked her over and said, "Why are you here?"

"Haven't you heard of a comb?" Nina chimed in. "Your hair is a mess."

"And besides," said Candice, "I thought the rules said that we're to be staying in our assigned houses whenever we're not in class. Is that true?"

"Yes," said Hermione nervously.

"Then you realize that your house is going to lose a lot of points for this," said Duncan. "We are authorized to report this incident to our head of house. He'll tell your head of house and you'll be duly punished."

"Before we do that, I want to ask her a question," said Harry. Everyone stared at him, but he was looking at Hermione. "Do you know Dumbledore personally?"

Hermione frowned as she stared at the group for a very long time. Finally, she said, "Yes."

"Haha! A confession!" Duncan cheered. "You're going to be expelled once your head of house hears about this. Now let's tell Professor Flitwick about what you did ands why you are doing it."

Professors Flitwick and McGonagall were sitting in the teachers lounge chatting when six students burst in. McGonagall stared at them and said, "What is the meaning of this?"

"We found her sneaking around in our house," said Harry. "She says that Dumbledore told her to do it."

Flitwick said, "A spy in Ravenclaw House? Well, I never heard of something like that in all my years of teaching at this school. A Gryffindor should know better." He looked at Hermione and said, "I will decide your punishment later."

McGonagall said, "And for that, if this is true, then I shall dock 110 points from Gryffindor. I've never heard of the smartest student at my house doing such a thing as this."

Hermione said, "But it wasn't my fault, ma'am. I know of several other students who were spying on Ravenclaw House as well."

"Oh shut your lying mouth," Harry said as he glared at her. "Your lies can't save you now."

"I know who's been spying on the Ravenclaws," said Hermione. "It was Ronald Weasley and Neville Longbottom. They too have told me that they've spying for Dumbledore as well."

"Indeed," said McGonagall. "I shall inform the headmaster of this matter." She stood up and said, "Come, children."

Harry could say nothing else as the deputy headmistress walked out of the room and had the kids follow her. Flitwick frowned, wondering how he was going to break the news of this to his house. Hermione shot Harry a hateful look, but Harry ignored her. He had other things to deal with.

Very soon, the group had reached a doorway and saw Amber and Will sitting in front of the door. Amber said, "Professor Dumbledore is quite busy, Professor McGonagall. He cannot see anyone right now."

McGonagall said to her daughter, "Amber, tell your father that I do not have time for his games. He will speak to me and not try to worm his way out of it. Is that understood?"

"Yes, mother," Amber frowned as she and Will stood up and knocked at the door. "Password?" said the gargoyles that guarded the door.

"Butterfudge," said the girls.

The door swung open and behind it, revealed the largest office that Harry had ever seen. There were several floor-ceiling bookcases, a huge table, and a large desk in a corner of the room.

Harry gasped as an old man came out and saw him. This was Professor Dumbledore and it was his office that Harry was in. Dumbledore said to him, "Hello, Harry. I thought that you would like to join us." He had two other boys with him, who had to be Ron Weasley and Neville Longbottom. They were sitting at the table.

"Minerva," Dumbledore addressed the deputy headmistress, "it is good that you brought him here at last. I was wondering if we would ever meet him at all."

"Not this time, Albus," McGonagall snapped at her husband. "He's not here to be entertained; he's here for answers. Why were you spying on him?"

Harry frowned as he stared at the old man. What was he going to say regarding him? Would he tell the truth or just lie about the whole thing?

Something told him that what Dumbledore was hiding would not be good at all...

* * *

The stage is almost set for the first confrontation between Harry and Dumbledore! Who will win? Review & subscribe!


	20. A Truth is Uncovered

Chapter 19: A Truth is Uncovered

Date written: January 24, 2008

Harry meets Dumbledore and forces him to tell him the truth about why he was sent to Hogwarts. He also declares his rightful place and demands that he stays in Ravenclaw.

* * *

Here's the 19th part of the story:

Harry stared at the old man, half expecting him to make a move to attack him. But Dumbledore said to him, "I have heard that you have had some difficulties for the past few months, Harry Potter. Mayhaps you'd like to explain some things to me?"

"Only if you explain some things to me first," Harry snapped back. Everyone stared at him. "I've been noticing that there are spies at Hogwarts," Harry continued, "and I've already caught one. Are you familiar with the name Bruce Freeport?"

Dumbledore said, "Indeed I am. But why are you so interested in spies?"

"Because I know that you've sent him to my uncle's house to spy on myself and Jacquel," said Harry angrily. "You had him living with us under a false name and a false identity. Why did you lie to us? You knew that Jacquel had no siblings, so why would you claim some poor kid as her brother?"

Dumbledore said, "I only care about your well-being, Harry. You do know that I have your best interests at heart."

"Then why were you forcing me to go into Gryffindor?" Harry snapped again. "What are you trying to prove? I'm nobody's hero, old man. I'm just a simple Ravenclaw and I plan to stay that way. Why did you want me to go into Gryffindor in the first place?"

Dumbledore said, "I wanted you in Gryffindor because that's where your parents were when they were at Hogwarts. I guessed that maybe you wanted to follow in their footsteps."

Harry sighed and said, "I'm going to pretend that I didn't hear that nonsense and say this: when I was about 8 years old, Petunia told me the truth about why my parents died. She also told me about Hogwarts and magic. She said that she had been at Hogwarts as well; she was a Ravenclaw while my mother was a Gryffindor. I wonder why Petunia quit Hogwarts while Lily graduated with flying colors."

"She knew that she never should have gone to Hogwarts to begin with,"'said Dumbledore. "When it was discovered that she could no longer do magic, that's when she left without any warning. I thought I had explicitly told her not to reveal anything about Hogwarts at all, and not to you. Not until you were about 10 years old."

"If I may interrupt here for a second," said McGonagall, "I believe I told her that she was to reveal the truth to Harry whenever she saw fit."

"I see," said Dumbledore, "but still, I had insisted that Harry went into Gryffindor. He had deliberately disobeyed me by choosing Ravenclaw. I had to do everything in my power to make sure that Harry regretted his decision and go into Gryffindor as he should have done in the first place."

McGonagall said, "But surely you don't mean it like that, now do you, Albus?"

"Not just for him, but her too," said Dumbledore. "I knew that Irene Romanov was a Slytherin and I couldn't bear the thought of her daughter turning out to be just like her mother. I had almost succeeded with forcing her into Gryffindor, only to realize that at the last moment, she claimed in her letter that she had wanted to go into a house of her own choosing. Guess which house she went into?"

"Now is not the time or the place to be discussing which houses that she should or should not have gone into," said Flitwick. "I just want to know why I found a student in Gryffindor sneaking around the Ravenclaw common room. Did you really have Gryffindor students spying on Harry?"

Dumbledore said, "I just wanted Harry to go into Gryffindor. Why is that a problem?"

"Harry had made his choice," said Flitwick. "He has made his choice in deciding who to befriend and which house to remain loyal to. He will never be your perfect Gryffindor. Miss Romanov will never be your perfect orphan."

"So are you suggesting that Harry is staying in Ravenclaw?" Dumbledore gasped in fear.

"That I am," said Harry, "and I'm going to tell you this only once: never again will you try to force me to leave my house and my friends and join your club of fools. I'm a Ravenclaw and that's who I will always be. You can't stop me at all. And if you ever try to get anyone else from any of the other houses, be it Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, or God forbid, Slytherin, to spy on me or my friends, then I'll make sure that you get yours immediately."

Dumbledore gasped as he saw his Golden Boy standing up to him. Wait, scratch that. Harry was no longer Dumbledore's Golden Boy. In fact, he was just a raven.

McGonagall cleared her throat and Dumbledore said to her, "Ronald, Neville, and Hermione are your students, so you may discipline them as you see fit." He then left in a huff as McGonagall said to her students, "I have never in all my years realized that my students would be spying on the other houses. I will not tolerate this at all. And as punishment for spying on Ravenclaw House, I will be docking 200 points from Gryffindor. Each."

Phil and the others were trying to hold in their laughter, but Hermione protested. "Please be reasonable," she cried out. "There's no way that we could lose this many points in one night." But the old witch said, "I have no choice but to punish you for this, Miss Granger. I thought that since you were very smart, then you would know better. However, I thought wrong. So you will lose 600 points and serve detention in my office for the rest of the year."

She then turned to Flitwick and said, "I am sorry if my students have spied on your house."

"That's all right, Minerva," said Flitwick. "Had I known that this had been happening, I would have informed you sooner. But I must now have a chat with my students and get some vital information on why this was happening."

He led the kids out of the office and said to them, "Now I don't know half of what's going on with Dumbledore and I don't care to know why he's trying to steal one of my students, but I will not tolerate this at all. Now I must tighten security at the doors leading to Ravenclaw Quarters and make sure that no more of Dumbledore's spies are discovered hiding in the common room. And I'm calling a staff meeting so that we can talk about this incident."

-

* * *

That evening, everyone in the Great Hall was shocked when they discovered that Gryffindor had lost nearly all of their house points. The Hufflepuffs simply frowned and went back to their gossip while the Ravenclaws glared at the Gryffindors.

The Slytherins were beside themselves with joy. The and the Gryffindors had had a rivalry that lasted as long as the school's founding. Draco Malfoy and his cronies laughed and mocked the Gryffindors during the dinner, but Jacquel remained silent. She was going to make the Gryffindors pay for spying on her.

The Gryffindors themselves were filled with anger. Stacey Snape yelled out in anger, "I can't believe this! We have gone from nearly winning the house cup to practically back to where we started! Can someone explain to me how the hell that could have possibly have happened?"

Julia Black said, "I heard that some of our own members have been caught spying on the Slytherins by Snape himself. He handed down what I think could have been the biggest punishment that Hogwarts has seen in years."

Seamus Finnegan said to Stacey, "Professor Snape is your father. Can't you just beg him to give us back our points?"

Stacey said, "Well, my father and I had an agreement that while I am at Hogwarts, we were to be teacher and student only. I can't let him show me any favors and I'm sure that he doesn't want anyone to know that I get off lightly because I am his son."

Dean Thomas said, "Well, that's kind of shocking, but then again, it wouldn't be fair to us, now would it?"

Julia said, "I say that we start asking around. Someone had been busted for spying on Slytherin and we all had to get punished for it. I don't know who did it, but when I get my hands on their necks-" Here, she grabbed a huge piece of bread. "No more jiggery pokery!" She ripped the bread into pieces.

Harry thought about telling her the truth about who the spies were, but thought better of it. He had other things to do, mainly figure out what to do with Jacquel. He knew that Jacquel had to know the truth about herself, but they were still not on speaking terms.

Phil said, "I think we should tell her the truth tonight when she's by herself and no one can intercede."

Harry said, "I'm not sure if she's going to believe us; I bet that she'll accuse us of siding with the Gryffindors."

"Better that than she hexing us into the next century," said Nina.

"It would seem wrong that we hold the key to her past and never telling her about it," said Duncan. "You said it yourself, Harry. You said that she'll never be anyone's orphan."

"And besides, orphans are way too mainstream," said Candice. "But what if Jacquel's father isn't really dead? What if she had relatives that no one knew existed?"

"Interesting," said Harry. He glanced at his watch and said, "We have at least six hours to sneak Jacquel out of Hogwarts before bedtime. Dumbledore could come for her and try to trick her into going into Gryffindor the same way that he had tried to trick me. We have to help her, Slytherin or no."

"Well, let's hop to it," said Phil as he stood up. The other students and teachers were very preoccupied with Gryffindor's fate and Professor McGonagall was speaking with Professor Vector (the arithmancy teacher), so no one noticed five students slipping out of the Great Hall and heading towards the library.

When they reached the place, Nina was sure that someone had been following them. "I hope it's not one of those Gryffindors," said Candice.

"I think we should hex them and get away with it," said Duncan.

"Or, I think you better tell me what's going on here," said Jacquel Romanov as she stood behind them with an angry look on her face.

* * *

Hmmm...didn't think Ron or Hermione would be spying for Dumbledore, didn't you? And also, what should the Blue Crew (Harry, Phil, Nina, Duncan, and Candice) tell Jacquel regarding Dumbledore?

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	21. Jacquel Escapes

Chapter 20: Jacquel Escapes

Date written: January 27, 2008

Harry and his friends meet with Jacquel and after telling her the truth about her family, they force her to escape from Hogwarts.

* * *

Here's the 20th part of the story:

Jacquel grew mad as she stared at the group for a few moments. She said, "I demand to know what the hell is going on here. I turn my back and you all jump in with your crazy schemes and stupidity."

"Jacquel," said Harry, "try not to get mad, but we have to tell you about your grandfather."

"I already know about my grandfather," said Jacquel, "and his name was not Hugo Romanov. His name was Paul Ulrich and my mother's name was Irina Ulrich."

"About that," said Phil nervously. "Your grandfather wasn't really Paul Ulrich, but Alexander Kapustin. His father was a nobleman but his mother was...a werewolf."

"A werewolf?" Jacquel cried out in fear. She said, "I've known about this all along; Sarah told me everything. I know about my grandfather and his family."

"Then you know the truth," said Phil.

"Of course I know the truth," said Jacquel. "Did you all think I was stupid, that I wouldn't even find out?"

"Well, we were kind of hoping that you'd be a little more...you know...surprised," Duncan admitted.

Jacquel frowned. "Why didn't you just tell me in the first place?"

"I did,"'said Harry, "and then you threatened to inform Dumbledore. I couldn't have him knowing about your real past."

"Indeed," said Jacquel.

"I met him and he's not who I think you should know. I take it you don't know him personally," said Harry.

"Of course not," Jacquel said angrily.

"Then you must escape from him immediately," said Harry.

"And why do I have to escape?" Jacquel stood there, tapping her foot with her arms crossed.

"It's for the best," said Harry, "and we also caught several spies who infiltrated both Ravenclaw and Slytherin houses. So you need to get out now before it becomes impossible to leave at all."

He took Jacquel to a secret passage that he had found while with Nina and Phil a few months earlier. Duncan said, "I heard rumors that that's where the Marauders used to sneak and hide whenever they were...you know...sneaking around."

"You've been talking to those Gryffindors, haven't you, Duncan?" Nina snapped at him.

"Only the nice ones," Duncan admitted. "I wouldn't be caught dead being around Dumbledore's Golden Team."

"Not all Gryffindors are on Dumbledore's team," said Candice. "I had checked them out using the question of loyalty. Even the older kids say that he's gone off his rocker."

"I don't think that would help us right now," said Phil.

"Harry," Nina said, "where exactly are we going?"

"This tunnel leads somewhere," said Harry.

"Yes, genius," said Jacquel. "But where does it lead to?"

Just then, there was a creak ahead of them. Harry was suddenly thankful for the torch that Vernon had sent him for Christmas, as it had gotten him out of many dark places and embarrassing situations.

He flicked the torch on and saw Neville Longbottom standing in front of them, blocking their way. "Where are you guys going?" he cried out.

"You're one of Dumbledore's spies, aren't you?" Jacquel snapped at him.

"I can help you," said Neville nervously. "This is not a trick. I swear to you, I'm not like them."

"Indeed," said Duncan. He looked Neville over and said, "Well, do you know where this path leads?"

"I discovered it one day while I was hiding from Filch," said Neville, "and I know where it leads. But I say that what Ron and Hermione did to you guys was wrong and I am sorry for it."

"Don't be," said Harry. "To me, it's just another lesson learned."

"They are the ones who need to be taught a lesson," said Neville. "They got almost half the entire house involved in Dumbledore's scheme to force you and her into Gryffindor. He's suffered a major setback, no thanks to you guys, but he's still running the school."

"Not for long," said Harry as he and the others tried to process what Neville was saying. "There is a loose cannon out there and he is capable of talking. And if he talks, then Dumbledore's goose is most certainly cooked."

"Was it...him?" said Jacquel.

"He's probably gone to the Ministry by now," said Harry, "and if not, I bet the newspapers would gladly get their hands on this story. Who knows how the wizarding world would react once they hear about the news regarding Dumbledore's schemes and how I was placed in Ravenclaw."

Jacquel said, "This kid is from a treacherous house, but we should trust him. After all, these Gryffindors are too prideful to to even come out and admit their mistakes. But why he's doing just that astounds me."

"Yeah," Phil agreed. "I wonder what he's trying to pull."

"Maybe it's not a trick," said Candice. "My mom says that you can tell a person by their eyes. His eyes are filled with regret, like he had no idea that Dumbledore had forced him to spy on us."

"And red as well, like he's been crying," said Nina.

"I'd cry too, if I were part of a house that suddenly lost all its points," said Duncan.

"Ok, that's enough, guys," said Harry. "We still have to sneak Jacquel out of Hogwarts and we better do it now while no one can interfere. Dumbledore is out there and he could be wondering where we all went. Jacquel's safety is of more importance to us right now."

He took the torch and held it in front of everyone, bidding them to move. They all did reluctantly. Within a few minutes, there came a light at the end of the tunnel.

More like a room once Harry walked ahead and saw the light in the room, which was coming from a huge lantern. Holding the lantern was Bruce Freeport.

It was Jacquel who spoke first.

"I knew that it was all too good to be true," she said as she stared at him. "You claimed to be related to me is one thing, but spying for Dumbledore is going too far. And furthermore, claiming to be something that you're not is against the laws, as you have probably discovered. So I wouldn't be surprised if you were sent to jail for a good while over that."

"Indeed he will be," said an older man as he clamped a hand on Bruce's shoulder. The kids gasped in fear. "Not to worry, I'm not Dumbledore," said the man. "I'm only Seamus LeSouse Rowes and I have had some serious beef with him in the past, a past that is quickly resurfacing. But why are you children here?"

"We're sneaking Jacquel out of Hogwarts," said Harry.

"Indeed," said Seamus. "And may I ask why you are doing that?"

"Dumbledore wants to force her and myself into Gryffindor," said Harry. "He wanted me to leave my friends and join his band of golden fools. I refuse to do just that."

"So why is she escaping and not you?" Seamus asked.

"She's not the one he wants, but he'd rather have us together than apart," said Harry. "But if Jacquel's not at Hogwarts, then this plan of his will fall apart like water in a leaky paper bag."

Seamus frowned and said, "Tell me who you are and why I should help you. Be quick about it, and no lies."

Harry said, "My name is Harry Potter..."

"As in *THE* Harry Potter?" said Seamus. Harry nodded. "Well, this does speak volumes. Who are you living with?"

"I live with my uncle and aunt in Surrey," said Harry.

"Indeed," said Seamus. "I knew Petunia Evans until she turned 16 years old. Albus tried to get her to join him, but she refused and later left the school. But why do you live with them?"

"I have no other relatives," said Harry. "My uncle and aunt are dead. I do not know about my grandparents at all."

"Your relatives on the Potter side are indeed dead, said Seamus. "They were slain by the Dark Lord's forces. But the Evanses are hiding out in Ravenshall Manor, which is not too far from Gareth Hall Academy. You have seen them, but you do not know them."

"Only at my uncle's funeral," said Harry.

"I see," said Seamus. He then looked at Phil, Nina, Duncan, and Candice. "I see Candice from the Noble House of Thorpe, which happens to be the most powerful wizarding house in the world. They had fought off Gellert Grindelwald in the past and have since refused to support Albus Dumbledore. It seems that Hogwarts is a step below for young Candice here." He looked at Nina and said, "And I also see Nina Barlow of the Barlow family, who were deemed blood-traitors for their refusal to give in to evil when it would have greatly benefited them. Why she is at Hogwarts is beyond me."

He looked at Neville and said, "I know you, Neville Longbottom; your parents, Frank and Alice, were tortured to insanity by Bellatrix Lestrange. Behind this seemingly cowardly boy is an angry wizard hell-bent on revenge. But why is Jacquelyn Claire Ulrich here?"

"Harry says that I must escape," said Jacquel.

"Indeed you shall," said Seamus. "You shall come with me, for I know of some relatives of yours who know about you. I must somehow convince these relatives that you need to be spirited away from Hogwarts as soon as you can."

"But what about us?" said Phil. "If Dumbledore finds out that Jacquel has escaped..."

"He won't," said Seamus, "because you will have no memory of her disappearance."

"WHAT?" everyone cried out as they stared at Seamus. He said, "It's the hard truth, but this is how it works. If you never saw Jacquelyn leaving the school, then who are you to say that she has escaped? Let him search your minds if he wishes, but he will find nothing. You have no lies to tell. But she is leaving right now."

Seamus reached for Jacquel and took a hold of her robe. He also held onto Bruce's jacket and pulled out what looked like a timepiece. "That's an authentic-looking time turner," Nina cried out.

"Yes it is," said Seamus, "and this one is very powerful. It can not only transport someone through time, but it can also manipulate the memories of the people surrounding the user."

"Meaning that it can erase their memories," said Phil.

"Exactly," said Seamus. "Now what transpired here, I will remember. But to counter anything that Albus might do, I think that it's best that you don't remember anything at all."

He opened the timepiece and waved it around, chanting some sort of spell. Harry gasped and the last thing that he saw was Jacquel's face as the wind swirled around them...

Harry woke up in his dorm. It was about 8:15 AM and he had no idea of where he was. He saw Phil and Duncan, who were just as confused as he was. None of them knew what to do or say to each other.

Harry got dressed and went to the common room, where he spotted Nina and Candice and several other girls staring at what had appeared to be huge markings on the wall. The markings spelled out a message: "You got us in trouble, so we will get you. Mark our words, Harry Potter, for you and your so-called "friends" are going to pay for ruining our reputation. That is a promise!"

Cho turned to stare at Harry and said, "You've done it now, Harry. They'll never let you get away with this at all."

"I don't care about what they say at all," said Harry. "All Gryffindors are stupid, and that's no lie. We'll get them back, one way or another."

"Besides," said Nina, "we can easily get the dirt on those fools. They call themselves the greatest house in Hogwarts, but we ravens are so much better than them! There's no way that they'll be able to knock us down at all, not if we can help it!"

"Yup," Candice agreed. "They think they have the skills to take us down, but we have one thing that they don't have."

"And what's that?" said a boy named Roger Davies.

"We have Harry Potter," said Candice with a huge smile on her face. "And he can beat whatever fake hero that they decide to set before us. They'll never defeat us! We'll crush them like ants!"

Harry said, "But what if I can't be the hero that Ravenclaw needs?"

"You're OUR hero, Harry," said Duncan, "and no one can stop you. You alone have the power to overcome Dumbledore and put an end to his nasty scheme of trying to force you into Gryffindor. You're not a lion, you're a raven and it's time you proved it!"

"Indeed I shall," Harry said. "I am not a Gryffindor. I was never meant to be in Gryffindor to begin with. I'm a Ravenclaw and it's time that everyone in Hogwarts know who I am and where I truly belong."

The Ravenclaws eagerly cheered, not knowing that within the next few days, they would all be forced to face the Gryffindors in battle. And as for Harry, he himself was about the face the biggest test of his life...

* * *

Harry is starting to become the hero of Ravenclaw, but how well can he stack up against Gryffindor's (fake) hero?

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	22. Confronting Hagrid

Chapter 21: Confronting Hagrid

Date written: January 30, 2008

After Jacquel leaves Hogwarts, Harry and his friends meet with Hagrid and demand the truth about why Dumbledore tried to force Jacquel and Harry to go into Gryffindor.

Here's the 21st part of the story:

* * *

When the news about Jacquel's disappearance reached the ears of Professor Snape, chaos swept through Slytherin house as a tornado would sweep through a field.

The other houses couldn't help but laugh as the Slytherins ran around the castle searching for Jacquel. Even Harry had a smirk on his face as he watched Draco Malfoy run around the school like a chicken with its head cut off.

That was, until the boy turned to him and said, "You think that this funny? She's gone and you're acting as if Christmas had come early. You're no better than those Gryffindors and their ringleader."

"I'm not a Gryffindor," Harry protested.

"Right," said Malfoy. "And I'm not a muggle. My father would be very pleased to hear that."

"But I'm in Ravenclaw!" Harry snapped.

"No you're not," said Malfoy. "You can't even read a book to save yourself. You should have gone into Gryffindor."

"And be like those loser jerks?" Harry cried out. "No way, Jose! I'm not going down *THAT* road!"

"Good," said Malfoy smirked at him. "I was just checking."

"Checking for what?" Phil stepped in.

"Just to see if he wanted to be anything like those no-good Gryffindors," said Malfoy.

"Like he'll ever be like those idiots," said Nina. "They spied on us and you. Harry will NEVER be like any of them at all."

"I see," said Malfoy. "Maybe I was wrong about you, Potter. I had always thought that you were going to join that stupid Weasley and that ugly buck-toothed girl. But I was also wrong about that."

"You were wrong about a number of things," said Duncan as he and Candice joined the group. "And who is that fake hero that Dumbledore is using to replace Harry?"

"None other than that Austin Underhill," said Malfoy. "He and that Tillie Reedham are being groomed by Dumbledore himself to take your place. But they are angry and rebellious and they demand that you and her rise up to take your proper places."

"Are you telling me that I should be in Gryffindor? I would rather die than do that!" Harry yelled in anger. "No one should have to tell me what to do! This is MY life and I'm going to live it MY way!"

"Very well, then," said Malfoy. "But I advise you to have a word with that giant oaf that you call your friend; he knows a lot more than you think."

"Believe you me I will," Harry frowned.

* * *

Later that day, Harry stormed off to Hagrid's hut by himself. The others were in class and no one saw him leaving. He needed to talk to Hagrid.

Said giant was sitting outside his hut when Harry showed up, yelling, "Hagrid, we need to talk!"

Hagrid said to him, "Very well then. What shall we talk about?"

"You know what I want to talk about!" Harry yelled in anger. "Myself. Jacquel. Why Dumbledore is trying to force us to go into Gryffindor."

Hagrid said to him, "why would you want to discuss that?"

"I want the truth, dammit!" Harry snapped, "and you're going to hand deliver it to me personally!"

"Very well," said Hagrid. "I will admit that first off, Jacquelyn' s grandmother isn't dead; in fact, she was in a coma until recently. Seamus Rowes found out and came here, demanding that Jacquelyn be released to him so that he could take her to see her grandmother. Dumbledore refused, so Seamus came here and kidnapped Jacquelyn when Dumbledore wasn't watching her."

Harry knew the truth behind the incident, but due to Seamus's spells, he said nothing. Hagrid continued, "And before you know it, she's gone and the Slytherins are all acting crazy. As for you, Dumbledore is still trying to get you to join him."

"But I won't!"Harry yelled in anger. "I'll never join him at all! Those other kids can suffer, but I'll never do it! I' ll never go into Gryffindor!"

"Harry, you must," said Hagrid. "You have no other choice. Dumbledore had your whole life planned out from the start: place you with your relatives, then send me to your house and fetch you, have you meet the Weasleys and go into Gryffindor..."

"But you didn't notice what had happened, or did you?" Harry snapped at him. "You didn't know that I had walked into the next car and meet Nina and Phil, and then when I got to Hogwarts, I was offered a choice between Slytherin and Gryffindor. I took the path that most heroes rarely travel, the path of wisdom. That's why I went into Ravenclaw. I remembered my Aunt Petunia telling me that there is always a third option in life. I didn't understand her then when she had said that, but now I do. I could have gone into Slytherin and become like Malfoy, or I could have gone into Gryffindor and become the Golden Hero that everyone wants me to be. But I saw a third choice and wondered if I could learn about myself more before setting off on my life-changing quest. That's why I went into Ravenclaw. I don't know myself or Hogwarts or the wizarding world for that matter."

Hagrid frowned as he listened to Harry, but he knew that the boy was right. Harry was nobody's fool, but he wasn't going to throw himself into the first thing that he saw. He said, "I think that perhaps I was wrong about you. You do belong in Ravenclaw. Your mother was smart, but she did not carry the book smarts, and your aunt had the book smarts, but she didn't have the street smarts. You have a bit of both of them; you can be impulsive at times and you can also be quite bookish."

"How do you know that?" said Harry.

"I've been watching you for months," said Hagrid. "I've seen you reading books about the history of Hogwarts and you've been taking careful notes about everything that you are learning in your classes. In fact, I daresay that you are even smarter than the Granger girl and you can outdo her in just about every subject here."

"She'll not like that, I' m sure," said Harry nervously.

"I know," said Hagrid, "and Dumbledore wasn't pleased when I told him that you were throwing yourself into your work and keeping up the appearance of being a Ravenclaw. I'll leave it to him. But you have other things that you need to deal with, am I right?"

"Indeed," Harry said as he looked up and saw that students were walking through the halls at Hogwarts. Classes had let out recently and Harry saw Nina, Phil, Duncan, and Candice walking toward him.

It was Candice who saw him. She said, "Professor Dumbledore was very angry when he came to teach our class today. In fact, he took about 70 points away from Ravenclaw, but Professor Flitwick made him give back the points. He says that if you had done what he said and went into Gryffindor in the first place, then none of this would be happening. But now, he says you have destroyed the natural order of things and you must pay for it with pain."

"Indeed," said Harry, "but I can take him."

"Not by yourself you can't," said Nina. "You'll need all of us. You, me, Phil, Duncan, and Candice against Austin, Tillie, Ron, Hermione, and someone else. I won't say who, but apparently you must have gotten to Neville Longbottom, because today, he broke down and told everything to Professor Snape. And he doesn't even like the guy."

"Interesting," said Harry. To Hagrid, he said, "this isn't over yet, Hagrid. I expect some more answers after I deal with Dumbledore. But first, I must make plans on how to counter Dumbledore' s spells." Hagrid could only watch as Harry and his friends walked away from his hut.

* * *

That night at dinner, Harry and the boys were chatting about the other kids that they would soon go up against. Phil said to him, "I wonder why the Weasleys were allowed to be in the wizarding world if they were deemed blood-traitors."

"You forgot that Nina's family are also blood-traitors," said Duncan as Nina glared at him.

"But the reasons why the Barlows are blood-traitors was a matter of honor," said Harry. "You know that Nina's parents would rather let their son die than hand him over to an evil wizard. I don't know about the Weasleys, but I bet that they are not an honorable family at all."

"Indeed," said Duncan, "and what is up with that Hermione chick? There is no way that a girl like her should be that smart, not unless she eats books and regurgitates the answers to everything in class. She's making us Ravenclaws look bad."

"She should have gone into Ravenclaw," said Phil. "There, her smartness would have some grain of truth. But this...this smartness...it's just wrong. We can't accept this at all."

"Indeed we can't,"said Duncan. "We have to put an end to this right now. It' s time for the raven to rise and take back what is theirs to keep. The lions will never have you, Harry. Not without a fight."

"You' re right,"said Harry. "I've spent the last few months of my life here at Hogwarts living as a Ravenclaw and I' m not ready to let that go to waste. I say let's read up on our opponents so that we'll know all their secrets and use that against them."

Nina and Candice turned to join them and Harry told the girls his plan. Nina said, "You're sure about this, Harry? Raiding student records is a violation of school rules and we're violating all sorts of privacy laws if we do this."

"We won't get caught,"said Harry. Everyone stared at him as if he had said that the prime minister had eaten a rat. "I have something that will ensure our success in this raid. We're going to retrieve a copy of their files and make them read our files. It'll be a contest to see who knows who best, but I'm not done planning the conflict."

"Who do we fight?" said Candice nervously.

"Let' s see,"said Phil. "Since Nina is a Barlow and Barlows are blood-traitors and so are the Weasleys, she can take on Ron. I'll be handling Hermione since we're both muggleborns. Candice can handle Tillie, Harry can take on Austin, and Duncan can have whoever's left."

"Sounds like a plan," said Nina. "I can't wait to humiliate that boy. My father has some beef with his father, so it's only fair that I take him down."

"Tillie thinks she's a pretty princess," said Candice, "but I'm prettier than she is."

"Hermione may be book smart, but can she handle my street smarts?" Phil questioned.

"I don't care who I get, just as long as I get to kick someone's butt,"said Duncan.

Harry said, "Well, Austin may be Dumbledore's chosen hero, but can he win against the true hero, the hero that doesn't take orders from a stuffy old man?"

The kids all relaxed a little, knowing that sooner or later, they would be engaged in a more-than-heroic battle with Dumbledore's chosen team...

* * *

The battle between lions and ravens is brewing! Who's going to win?

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	23. Mirror Mirror

Chapter 22: Mirror Mirror

Date written: February 3, 2008

Harry sneaks out of bed and goes to the office, where he hopes to find records detailing the lives of his Gryffindor rivals.

* * *

Here's the 22nd part of the story:

That night, Harry held his breath and walked out the door of the Ravenclaw common room. No one knew that he was up late; he had to get the dirt on the Gryffindors and he hoped that since it was the night hour, wherein everyone was asleep, he could get the records without disturbing anyone or having to skip class just to get there.

He walked up and down the halls holding his flashlight in front of him, knowing that there could still be someone up who could catch him. Also, any one of the Gryffindors could ambush him at any given moment. Harry was very thankful for the lessons in Defense against the Dark Arts, and he knew a handful of spells that were designed to stop his attackers in their tracks.

But how do you stop a shadow?

Harry thought back to the shadow that he had seen at the welcoming feast and the conversation between Jacquel and the random person that he had overheard in the library. He also remembered the belt with the dragon insignia that Jacquel just happened to be wearing at the Halloween feast. What did the shadow and the dragon have to do with Jacquel's secret past?

Putting that thought aside, Harry continued down the hall and climbed several flights of stairs until he reached the room of records. He remembered the box that Hagrid had given him for Christmas and he had spent hours trying to figure out how to open the box.

Just then, it had hit him: it wasn't a box to be opened by any key. It was a box designed to open doors that were seemingly locked and could not be opened by using a key. Harry held the box to a strange design on the wall, and a door seemed to open before him. He smiled, wondering if it was Hagrid's doing all along, hoping to keep Harry confused until he could figure out how to use the box to unlock unlockable and hidden doors.

Harry walked inside the room and he was sure that it was the records room, as he saw several large file cabinets scattered all over the place. They were divided into Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff. Harry rushed to the Gryffindor section and after careful searching, pulled out four different files, files belonging to Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, Austin Underhill, and Tillie Reedham.

He then ran to the Ravenclaw section and pulled out files of himself, Phil, Nina, Duncan, and Candice. Harry then had a revelation about Neville, as he ran back to the Gryffindor section and pulled out Neville's files as well. Harry then found a bag lying in a corner of the room and stuffed the files into it, knowing that he and his friends were going to have to read into those files later on if they wanted to know how to defeat their rivals.

Harry found Jacquel's files in the Slytherin section and added that to the bag, which now held 11 huge folders. He was about to leave when he overheard two men talking. One of them said, "He's onto us, Severus. We have to act quickly if we want to get finished with what we have started."

"What we have stared is nothing short of a disaster," said Professor Snape. "Quirinus, you and I have been through this: the boy will not go into Gryffindor. He will stay where he is, even if I have to crush the old bastard himself to prove it."

Professor Quirrell said, "Now, Severus, let's be reasonable here. Why are you trying to protect the boy? He should mean nothing to you. After all, he is the son of James Potter. James was your worst enemy when we were students here and he bullied you to no end."

"And you have forgotten that his mother's name was Lily Evans," said Professor Snape.

"Oh, right, the girl who was your best friend until she dumped you and went for James," said Professor Quirrell. "Sorry to rain on your parade, Severus, but I think it's time that you got over her. She's dead now, no thanks to you and your refusal to forgive her for the way that she treated you. So, you need to just forget her and forget Harry too."

"But what of him," said Professor Snape. "It's my own fault that the boy has no parents, so I must do what I can to make it up to him no matter what. He needs someone who truly cares about him in this place, one who can help him become the wizard that he was meant to be."

Harry gasped as his brain tried to process what he was hearing. Professor Snape, the most hated teacher at Hogwarts, actually cared about him? This new revelation left him shaken, and he wondered if he could go through with the mission.

Without a second thought, he rushed out the room, past by the professors (who took no notice of him at all), and continued running until he could run no more.

When Harry caught his breath, he saw himself in a strange room. There was no one else in the room with him and there was nothing else in the room beside a huge pile of cloth. Harry pulled back the cloth and saw a huge mirror gleaming in the moonlight.

Harry didn't know what to do or say at this point. The mirror seemed to hum and then he saw himself standing proudly in Ravenclaw robes. Ravenclaw robes. He was still a Ravenclaw in that vision.

But he saw himself as an older boy wearing the Ravenclaw colors of blue and beige and without a scar on his head. He pulled back his hair and saw that the scar was there. But why was it gone in the vision in the mirror? What had happened to it to make it disappear?

Harry quickly turned away from the mirror and ran back toward the door, only to find himself back in the Ravenclaw Common Room. He went back to his dorm and after hiding the bag under his bed, he fell into a fitfully sleep.

* * *

The next day, Harry woke up and gasped at what time it was. He had almost 15 minutes before class began. He then remembered what had happened last night: he had stolen several files from the Room of Records, overheard a conversation between Professors Snape and Quirrell, and saw a future version of himself in a magical mirror.

Harry frowned as he got dressed, thinking about the night's activities. He grabbed the bag of files and after performing a shrinking spell, stuffed the bag into his school satchel. He and his friends would go through the bag later.

Right now, he had to get to class or else he would be late. As nice as he appeared to be, Professor Snape was not a very patient man at all, and he did not tolerate tardiness. Harry rushed himself to class, just barely making it before Professor Snape showed up. He glared at Harry for a moment, but turned his attention to the rest of the class.

Harry thought that he was safe, but then Nina jabbed him with her wand. "Why weren't you at breakfast?" she hissed at him. "Did you somehow get yourself busted trying to get the files or something like that? What happened that you couldn't come to the Great Hall this morning?"

"Yeah," Phil chimed in. "So, what's eating you, Harry?"

Harry said, "I got the files last night, but then I overheard something that didn't sound right."

"Like what?" said Nina.

"Professor Snape and Professor Quirrell are up to something," said Harry, "and whatever it is, it's not good. I want to know what they are doing."

"So what exactly are they doing?" Nina asked.

"I don't know," said Harry, "but it's bad."

"So how can we stop them if you don't know what it is that they are doing?" said Phil.

"I don't know," said Harry. "But I'm getting a very strange feeling that something isn't right here. It all started with the shadow that I saw at the sorting feast and then there was the troll attack on Halloween. I'm not sure if the two events are related, but if they are, then I'd like to know why."

"And don't forget about Jacquel's involvement in this situation," said Phil. "Those two things had something to do with her as well."

"And now it boils down to this: what is this shadow and why is it torturing Jacquel? Who is she, really? Why is she being stalked by some shadow? And what would motivate some random guy to masquerade as her brother, knowing that she has no brothers or sisters?"

"We don't know if she has brothers or sisters," said Nina. "After all, her mother might have had other children that we don't know existed."

"I always thought Jacquel was an only child," said Harry. "I never thought that she could have siblings. Call me greedy, but I think she's better off not having any siblings at all."

"Not until we read those records we don't know anything about her," said Phil.

They would have continued with the conversation, but professor Snape walked up to them and said, "The rest of the class is working on the assignment. I would suggest that you start working as well. It would be a travesty if you three were to get a poor grade in your potions class because of your poor work ethics."

Harry nodded, and then he got to work. But all the while, he kept replaying the conversation regarding him repeatedly in his head. What was behind the reasons why Snape seemed to care about him? It was common knowledge that Severus Snape had hated James Potter when they were Hogwarts students, but why would he start caring about his rival's son? What made him decide to worry about Harry in the first place? What was he trying to prove, anyway?

Harry frowned as he thought about the conversation; he would have to ask Professor Snape about it later.

* * *

When the kids found a break, Harry had them meet up in the library. He said, "I have pulled the files that we needed. Now, we better study them carefully, because we'll never know when this fight will happen."

He pulled out the files on Ron, Hermione, Austin, and Tillie and everyone grabbed one. Nina said, "Why'd you grab Jacquel's files?"

"I'm going to be dealing with Dumbledore," said Harry. "I think he knows something about Jacquel that he's not letting on. He needs to spill the truth about her or else I will. And when I do, it won't be very pretty."

Phil said, "So, what are you going to do with our files?"

Harry held the files on himself, Phil, Nina, Duncan, and Candice in his hands and said, "I'll just leave them in a place where Hermione can find them, if she's allowed to be in here, that is. I believe that our files will come in quite handy, if she reads them all."

"That's ingenious!" said Duncan. "I bet that there's no way that they'll be able to beat us now!"

The others whooped and cheered as Harry stood up, holding the files of Neville and Jacquel in his hands. _Right_, he thought to himself as he glanced at a portrait of Albus Dumbledore, which hung above the fireplace in the library. _You and I have a score to settle_.

* * *

The battle between lions and ravens is brewing! Who's going to win?

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	24. The Shadow

Chapter 23: The Shadow

Date written: February 6, 2008

Harry goes off to meet the shadow that has been torturing Jacquel since their first night at Hogwarts.

* * *

Here's the 23rd part of the story:

The next evening, Harry chanced to learn about the shadow that was torturing Jacquel since day one of their term at Hogwarts. She claimed to see the shadow luring around Slytherin Dungeons, but it would disappear whenever another person approached her. She was sure that the shadow was looking for her.

Harry frowned as he climbed out of bed and slipped out of the room. He went out of Ravenclaw Quarters and down the halls of Hogwarts. No one was around; not even Filch was up and about, hoping to catch wayward students. Harry found himself unexpectedly relaxing and turned on his flashlight, hoping to catch a glimpse of the shadow.

He gasped as he saw the shadow move across the floor. It wasn't a human shadow, per se, but it was a shadow indeed. It walked with almost a limping gait, as if it had some sort of injury. Harry followed it to the third room corridor, which had been explicitly off limits to the Hogwarts students.

Until now, that was.

He said, "Shadow, or whoever you are, come out here and face me!" The shadow did not respond to him. "Shadow, you do know that you are in a restricted area, and did you know that that is a violation of Hogwarts rules?" Harry continued. "Now come out or else!"

This time, the shadow turned to stare at him. It said, "And who are you to tell me what to do, boy?"

"I am no boy," said Harry. "My name is Harry Potter, the son of James and Lily Potter. I am the Boy-Who-Lived. Now stand down!"

"I move for no man," said the shadow. "Now you must die."

Harry shook his head. "Death is a little too extreme," he said, "even for you. Now I'm going to ask you one more time: who are you and why are you here?"

"My name is John Homme and I seek the fraud known as Jacquel Romanov," said the shadow. Harry shook his head, knowing that he had finally found out the name of the person who had been torturing Jacquel for several months. However, it wasn't over yet.

"Why are you seeking her?" Harry snapped. "Is it to cut her throat? Is it for your sick purposes? Why are you chasing after her?"

"She deserves to die," said Homme. "She, her mother, and especially her grandmother. They had betrayed me and left me in the hands of their enemy while pretending to be my friend."

"I'm most certain that you deserved it," said Harry, "seeing as you are nothing more than a disgusting creature who deserves death. However, I cannot stop you, but I know not where she is."

"You lie!" Homme yelled at him.

"I don't lie, but I do know that you can't just go around killing 11-year-old girls, not for a good reason," said Harry. "Now drop whatever weapons that you are holding in your hands and surrender, or else I will inform the headmaster and he'll dispose of you."

"The headmaster has invited me here to get rid of the girl," said Homme. "But since she isn't here and you are, I shall kill you now. Goodbye Harry, son of James and Lily Potter."

Harry gasped in horror as he felt the hands of John Homme wrap themselves around his neck, cutting off his airflow. _I can't die right now_, he thought to himself as he tried to struggle and escape from his attacker. _Don't let me die. Jacquel, help me!_ he silently cried out. _Help me!_

But Jacquel didn't come to Harry's rescue; instead, it was a well-aimed shovel that connected to the back of Homme's head, killing him immediately. Harry gasped as two hands reached out and pulled him to safety.

"John Homme," the voice of Severus Snape drawled as the wizard looked upon the body of the other man. "I should have known that that was you. But no matter. I know that you were sent here by Dumbledore to do away with a certain student, one who is not here at this moment." He shook his head and continued, "Somehow, you must have known that you would fail. Now, I will singlehandedly end the Order of the Shadow and bring their crimes to light."

Quirrell said to Harry, "Are you all right?" Harry nodded as he stared at the man who was John Homme lying dead on the floor. He had a weird unsettled look about him and was dressed in dark clothing. "What were you doing out of bed at this time of night, anyway?" asked Quirrell.

"I saw the shadow," said Harry. "It was there since the sorting night. The shadow was waiting for the opportunity to attack Jacquel and so far, it couldn't come near her without raising any alarms. But tonight was rather different, as we can tell."

"Indeed," said Snape. "Now, return to your dorm and say nothing about this matter until it is settled. Quirinus, let us be off so that we can deal with the Order of the Shadow."

Harry could only nod as he ran back to the Ravenclaw Quarters. He couldn't believe what had just happened to him. He knew that far from allowing Jacquel to make her own decisions about her future, Dumbledore was planning to kill her and cover up the killing. But it was his assassin who took the death that was meant for her.

Harry resolved to tell Jacquel and only Jacquel about the attempt on her life once they met again. But would she believe him when he told her the truth behind her disappearance? What was she going to say to him when she found out that the shadow that was haunting her was a man who tried to kill her?

For once in his life, none of his Ravenclaw antics had prepared him for this.

* * *

The next day, Harry had all but forgotten the events of last night, as everyone as preparing to study for the upcoming wizarding tests. He smiled as he watched the Gryffindors panic; he knew that come what may, they were going to be humiliated when it came to the booksmarts that the Ravenclaws demanded.

Of course, he had a hard time trying to keep up with Phil and Nina as they were going over the lessons that they had learned over the year. It was also unsettling for Ravenclaw House to discover Filch showing the Ministry the body of a dead man that he had found near the Slytherin Dungeons. Dumbledore himself seemed to be calm about the whole situation, but Harry knew the truth. He was going to confront the headmaster about this matter.

"Harry, please calm down," said Phil as he and Harry were going over their charms homework. "Fidgeting will get you nowhere."

"But I can't let the fact that I could have lost a friend slide," said Harry, "and not only that, Dumbledore knew about it and possibly approved of it. So I have the right to demand some answers from him. And what about the part where he spied on us? You think I'm going to let that slide as well?"

With that, he jumped up and rushed towards the headmaster's office. His anger was so strong that other students who saw him rushing by in the halls got out of his way. But he didn't get too far, as Professor McGonagall noticed him and said to him, "You're supposed to be studying, Mister Potter. Why are you here and not in the library studying your lessons?"

"But I can't concentrate with my work knowing that Dumbledore was behind the hiring of some shadowy figure who tried to kill an innocent student," said Harry. "I need to expose him as the liar that he is!"

"You will do no such thing," said McGonagall. "Not until you tell me what is going on here."

She brought him to her office. The place was slightly smaller than Dumbledore's office, but it did have a floor-to-ceiling bookcase and a huge table and chairs. Harry frowned as the old witch pointed to a chair and forced him to sit in it. "Explain," she said in a stern voice.

Harry sighed and for the next few hours, he told McGonagall everything that had happened since the night of the Sorting Ceremony to the night that he discovered John Homme stalking the Slytherin Dungeons. The Deputy Headmistress shook her head when Harry mentioned Homme's excuses for his attempted murder of Jacquel Romanov. She said, "Of all the absurd things that I have heard over the years, this is the most absurd thing I have ever heard. Albus will hear of this. And you will return to the library and your studies."

She sent him out of the room and back to the library. When he got there, Candice ambushed him, saying, "Did she give you detention?"

"She can't give us detention so close to testing time," said Duncan, who came to join them. "Not when we need to study."

"Well, we need to get back to our table," said Harry. He looked around and saw Austin Underhill and Tillie Reedham at a nearby table with Ron and Hermione. Hermione glared at them while Ron, Austin, and Tillie had looks of indifference on their faces. "I think that's our cue to go," Harry whispered to the group as they rushed back to the table and grabbed their things.

Phil and Nina noticed them and Phil said, "Hey, what's the rush, you guys?"

"We need to leave," Harry said as he grabbed his bag and rushed out the library.

"But why?" Phil asked. Nina frowned as she saw Hermione going to the bookshelves. Within a few minutes, she was back with a pile of papers tucked under her arm.

She said to Phil, "I think Hermione bought into our trap. Now we trap her."

"Indeed," said Phil. "Now, let's go see what Harry's up to."

* * *

That evening, Harry was sitting in the common room reading a news article. The article spoke of the capture of a group of four men and two women, charging them with conspiracy to murder Jacquelyn Romanov, who was still missing. _This had to be the Order of the Shadow that Professor Snape had mentioned last night_, Harry thought to himself. Unfortunately, it was revealed that Albus Dumbledore was NOT involved in the above mentioned conspiracy.

"Well, that's not what I had in mind when I expected this," Harry said to himself as his owl, Hedwig, flew around and nipped at his fingers. "I expected Dumbledore to be name as co-conspirator in this scheme and ousted. This just isn't right here."

He stood up and went to Dumbledore's office; it was time for them to have an overdue chat.

* * *

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	25. Wit is better than Bravery

Battle time! In this penultimate chapter of the first story, Harry puts his foot down and tells everyone point blank that he isn't joining with the Gryffindors! But will he win over them?

* * *

Chapter 24: **Wit is better than Bravery**

Date written: February 9, 2008

Harry faces Dumbledore as his friends face the Gryffindors.

* * *

Here's the 24th part of the story:

That night, Harry, Phil, Nina, Duncan, and Candice all met at the library. All five had decided to face off against Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, Austin Underhill, and Tillie Reedham, who they were sure had been spying on them since sorting night. As they were studying the files on their rivals, Phil said, "I'm not sure if this is a good idea, Harry. We just can't take this information and use it against them. This isn't right and you know it."

"What if they are doing the same thing to us?" said Candice. "Do you want that?"

"No, I most certainly *don't* want that," said Phil.

"So, we must use our brain smarts and OUT smart them," said Duncan. "That can't be too hard."

Just then, Jonathan Trichenberg, Kirk Matheson, and Dudley Dursley entered the library. Dudley said, "is it true that you're going to go fight the Gryffindors?"

"They're going to fight the Gryffindors," said Harry. "I'm going to fight their boss."

"Dumbledore?" Kirk cried out. "Be careful, Harry; he will try to manipulate you in to joining him."

"And what are you guys doing here?" the voice of Neville Longbottom rang out. With him were Stacey Snape and Julia Black. Stacey said, "I don't know what is going on here, but this is dangerous. Y'all can't be doing this."

"We have no choice," said Harry. "Your bloody classmates dared to spy on me and my friends and for that, they must be punished. You can't intervene here."

"We only came to watch," said Stacey. "Just like they are."

Harry gasped as he saw Draco Malfoy, Vincent Crabbe, Gregory Goyle, Peter Davison, Leonard Vaughan, and Sarah Bennett right behind Stacey. "And why are you here?" Harry said to Draco.

"We're only here to witness the beatdown of Gryffindor house," said Draco.

"You better witness the beatdown of Dumbledore's golden band of fools or I'll give you the beatdown of a lifetime," Stacey snapped at him. "Our fathers may be friends, but that doesn't mean I can't beat you up."

"I'd love to see you try," said Kirk.

"Nobody asked you, Ravencraft," said Sarah.

"And you are a Gryffindor," Kirk snapped at her. "Why are you here?"

"I believe the proper question is, "do you know Dumbledore personally"," Stacey said to Kirk. "But for me, I do know him, but I also place the blame on him for my mother's death and my missing finger."

He pulled off the black glove that he always wore on his right hand and showed everyone the missing ring finger. There was a small stump where the finger used to be. "It happened when I was a baby. My mother and I were walking outside and suddenly, someone from the Order of the Shadow attacked us. I escaped, save for my finger, but my mother was killed. My father found the person responsible and killed him and his mother. So there you have it."

"So you know about the Order of the Shadow?" Harry said to him.

"Indeed," said Stacey, "and they have been exposed and arrested, no thanks to you and Jacquel. Now I feel like I've been truly avenged and my mother can finally rest in peace." He slipped the glove back on and said, "And I know for sure that Dumbledore lied about his place in the Order of the Shadow. Maybe we can get him to talk."

"Uh oh, here they come!" Jonathan said as he saw 10 people coming into the room. The group consisted of not only Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, Austin Underhill, and Tillie Reedham, but there was also Lisette Chaddesley, Charlie Buttermere, Dylan Quincey, Xavier Keaton, Diana Moon, and Hunter McQuillen. All of them were wearing looks of anger on their faces.

Hermione was the first to speak. "I knew it was too good to be true," she said. "You would dare rise up against me?"

"Yeah he would," Julia snapped at her. "I thought we wren friends. But somehow I learned that you were full of nothing."

"You stabbed us all in the back when you joined Dumbledore," said Sarah. "How could you do something like that? And to even attempt to lure my best friend into your group was the worst thing that you have ever done! You did deserve to have Jacquel punch you in the face!"

"And also, you side with a Weasley," said Peter. "Weasleys are nothing more than the scum of the wizarding world. You would befriend him?" This he said while pointing to Ron.

"You take that back!" Ron cried out as he aimed his wand at Peter.

"Watch it, weasel," said Malfoy. "For all we know, you could have corrupted Potter and then made a mess of everything. He would have made a terrible Gryffindor, always relying on his friends, always trusting a manipulative and abusive man. But Harry here chose to go someplace else, where he can make his own choices and not be influenced by anyone. So who is the bigger fool: him or you?"

Ron waved his wand and tried to hex Draco, but Stacey pulled out his wand and zapped him. "Save it for the fight," he said sternly.

"What fight?" Hermione glared at Stacey.

"The fight against the Ravenclaws," said Phil, "which means me. You come forward now."

He stood in the middle of the room. Harry and the others had thoughtfully cleared the tables and chairs before the fight began. Hermione walked to the middle of the room, shaking nervously as everyone was watching her. Phil said to her, "So, I hear that you're the smartest student here at Hogwarts."

"Indeed I am," said Hermione.

"That's where you're wrong," said Phil. "As you can see, everyone in Ravenclaw just happens to be smarter than you. You would have had a better time had you gone into Ravenclaw."

"But the hat said I should be in Gryffindor," Hermione protested in anger.

"That's where you're wrong," said Phil as he zapped her. "There has been an incident where a student did not go into the house that was assigned to them."

"Jacquel went into Slytherin," said Hermione. "She tricked us all into revealing the nature of the housing situation at Hogwarts."

"Indeed she did," said Phil. "Her mother was a Slytherin. But as for you, you are a muggleborn, are you not?"

"Well, yes," said Hermione.

"And so am I," said Phil. "That never goes away no matter who you are."

"And you're nothing more than a person who never should have left the States," Hermione snapped at him.

"Wrong again," said Phil. "I'd be nervous if I were you."

"And there is the matter of who you came from," said Hermione.

"And that makes three," said Phil. "I know all about you, Hermione Granger. Your parents are dentists. Also, you have spent more time reading the most boring of books instead of playing outside like the other kids your age. But underneath that, you are cruel and aggressive. I wonder what you did to gain entry into Hogwarts: "Let me into your school or I'll destroy you?" Mayhaps. But still, I wonder why you have to act like this."

"And you, Phil, are descended from slaves and you lived in a country that degraded your people," said Hermione. "Your people should have risen up and destroyed that country years ago…"

ZAP! Hermione screamed as she went flying across the room and landed on a chair that was transfigured into a huge pillow. "You lose," said Phil. "even though my parents weren't too big on raising me in a place where blacks could have a hard time being fully accepted into society, we have always been full of pride and as such, no one is allowed to bad-mouth the United States of America and live. So, what's the damage? Ravenclaw 1, Gryffindor 0."

Harry went to Hermione, taking note of a huge bruise that was on her right cheek that had formed when she hit the pillow. "We could have been friends in another life, but you chose this. You have made a very dangerous enemy." To Vincent and Gregory, he said, "Tie her up and confiscate her wand. We can't have her escaping and telling wild tales about how she was defeated by a Ravenclaw.

As Vincent and Gregory restrained Hermione, Nina made her way to the circle. She said, "I choose Ron Weasley to come face me." Immediately Ron made his way into the circle. He stared at Hermione, who was tied up by Vincent and Gregory and then said to Harry, "You're going to pay for that, Potter!"

Nina zapped him, saying, "shame on you, Weasley! You cannot face him; I'm the only one you should be facing. Now, what do you know of the Barlow family?"

Ron frowned as he answered, "the Barlow family was a pureblood family that was filled with honor. That was, until a disabled son was born and your father saved a muggle woman from slavery to an evil wizard. He also killed the wizard and exposed the names of those who were working for him. In anger, one of his children was cursed and the only way to remove the stain of being a blood-traitor was to have that disabled son killed."

"And yet, my parents refused to kill their son," said Nina. "Not when killing a child could save an entire town. Plus, most people in the world aren't too big on child deaths to begin with."

"So, do you know anything about the Weasleys?" said Ron.

"I know your father studies muggles, as if they are a science experiment and not people," said Nina. "Your mother seems to be nothing more than a cruel witch full of the stereotypical Irish anger. You have five older brothers and a younger sister."

"And you have your parents, six older siblings, a set of twins and a set of triplets," said Ron in turn. "Plus a disabled brother named Nicholas, who should have been killed at birth instead of being allowed to live…"

Nina zapped him again. "That was a strike," she said. "You better watch what you say about the Barlow family. Now, why did the dark wizard Velonus attack the muggles and force them to hand Alariya Sempanta over to him?"

"He what?" Ron cried out, but Nina zapped him again. "Failing to know the correct answer to any question is a sign of weakness," Nina said to him. "Velonus wanted to control the muggles who lived in the states, but my father stopped him. That alone earned him more honor in the wizarding world than anything your father ever did."

"Don't insult my father!" Ron cried out.

"You have two strikes against you," said Nina. "You're on thin ice, Weasley. One more thing: who did your family side with during the Grindelwald wars?"

"Well, Grindelwald, I guess," said Ron. "And Louis Thorpe was a fool to try to resist Grindelwald and Seamus LeSouse-Rowes should have remained with Grindelwald like a good slave…"

ZAP! Nina zapped Ron and he went flying out of the circle and right onto the huge pillow that Hermione had just landed on. "You suck tremendously, Weasley," said Nina. "You should have gone into Hufflepuff."

"But my while family expects me to be in Gryffindor," Ron cried out.

"Indeed," said Nina, "and I'll have my siblings who are in Gryffindor switch to the other three houses and make sure that they never go near you. You lose."

"Gryffindor 0, Ravenclaw 2," said Kirk. "Who's next?"

As Duncan and Candice went to face Austin and Tillie, Harry went up to Ron, saying, "I don't think that we would have ever became friends, even if this were another time and another place. Peter, Leonard, tie him up and guard him."

As Peter and Leonard tied up Ron, Duncan said to Austin, "You think you're a hero, aren't you?"

"Well, you're not," said Austin. "In fact, being a hero is something that you're born with, not something that you can find with a dictionary."

Duncan zapped him and said, "My my, someone who has no concept of knowing what a hero is. For shame."

As for Tillie and Candice, both girls seemed to have discarded their wands and instead, tried to physically knock each other out of the circle. "How dare you insult my family!" Candice cried out in anger.

"Your family?" said Tillie. "Your family is so stupid! All they do is hide themselves from the world, capture people who wander outside their property and take them prisoner!"

"Wrong answer," said Candice as she shoved Tillie out of the circle. She landed next to Ron. Sarah rushed over and secured her as Duncan sent Austin flying out of the circle.

As Kirk and Jonathan were securing Austin, Harry found himself facing Neville. "You don't want me to fight you?" Harry cried out.

"No," said Neville. "We are cut from the same cloth. We share the same birthday, the same life circumstances, the same destiny."

"Like how?" Phil cried out.

"Harry and I were both born on July 31," said Neville. "But that's only the beginning. Harry's parents were killed by the Dark Lord and my parents were tortured to insanity by his captain. We both had to grow up as orphans. For some reason, Dumbledore forced the hat to put me in Gryffindor when I should have been placed in Hufflepuff. I wonder why you never went into Gryffindor."

"Because there's always a third choice," said Harry. "In your case, it's either Gryffindor or Hufflepuff. So why not take the third path, the path of wisdom? Why can't the hero be wise? He doesn't need to seek out adventure or sit on the sidelines. He doesn't always need an old sitting over his shoulder giving him advice. In choosing Ravenclaw, I have chosen my own life path. Perhaps you can choose your own life's path."

"Such words of wisdom from someone who is still young," said Albus Dumbledore as he entered the room. "And yet, he has refused such a generous offer that I have set before him."

"And what would that offer be, if it be but a cruel bulky, a stupid weasel, and two kids who are so clueless that even a preschooler could outdo them," said Harry. "Now once again, I'm going to say this: you will never again try to take me away from my house or my friends. If you try to do that after I have given you this warning, then I will have no choice but to destroy you. You don't want that, or do you?"

"No, I most certainly *don't* want that," said Dumbledore. "But what I do want is..."

"For me to be your happy little warrior who depends on you and only you?" Harry snapped back at him. "Well, guess what? I'm not one for fighting, since I don't like to fight to begin with and does it look like I want to fight some imagined evil? This so-called "Lord Voldemort" that people are talking about is nothing more than a hothead who's just trying to scare people. I don't like people like him and I really don't like people like you! You think you can just show up and tell me how to live my life? You have killed more people in your life than he had in less than three years! How can I just sit there and let you just run the world? You're on thin ice here, Albus Dumbledore! So know this: the moment Jacquel Romanov is found, the end of your days will begin!"

He walked out of the library leaving the old wizard high and dry.

* * *

The next day, everyone gasped as they saw Jacquel Romanov walking through the doors into the great hall. Her hair was now a dark brown color and cut so short that it only reached to an inch above her shoulders. Harry said, "Jacquel, what happened to you?"

"Well, first off, Roland Wilkins came to Seamus's house and scolded me for not going to Gareth Hall Academy. He was also angry with me for adhering to Dumbledore's lies. Then Wilkins threatens to kill me unless I agreed to go back to Hogwarts and then tell everyone that I was leaving the world of magic forever," said Jacquel.

"Well, are you?" said Harry.

"There is a small problem with Wilkins's plan," said Jacquel. Harry stared at her. "Gareth Hall Academy only takes in students who are 12 years old. I'm almost 11 years old. So this time next year, I might be gone for good."

"Indeed," said Severus Snape as he approached them. "You have a good while to torment me with your presence. But will you be willing to leave us for good when the time comes?"

"Wilkins was part of the Order of the Shadows," said Jacquel, "and Wilkins was the leader, was he not?"

"Until we captured the group, that is," said Snape. "And even then, they sent an assassin in after you, but I killed him. For a long time, we had no idea that he was luring in the shadows, waiting for his chance to get rid of you. But you were gone by the time he had showed up."

"Indeed," said Jacquel as she took her place with the Slytherins.

* * *

By the time that the next day had rolled around, the test-taking had begun.

Harry frowned as he took stock over what he had learned over the course of his first year at Hogwarts. Sure, he had learned the linguistics of magic, but there was so much more that he had learned. He had to drop all his anti-reading ways and actually learn to study. He also made several friends, which was something that he never exactly had back at home. Plus, he discovered the truth about Jacquel and he knew that give or take, she wouldn't be a Hogwarts student for much longer.

When the day of test-taking was over, most of the students went off to bed. Harry was the only one who sat up in bed, wondering what his future held. He had defied Dumbledore and rescued Jacquel. He knew that he was going to pay for that.

But then again, he was beginning to wonder about how the wizarding world was going to perceive their "Boy-Who-Lived". He had openly mocked Lord Voldemort and called Dumbledore out on his bull. He had also shamed the Weasley family and exposed most of the Gryffindors' schemes. He wondered if Dumbledore was going to actually let him live long enough to actually return home for the summer.

Home, the place where Vernon and Petunia, and Robbie, Louise, David, Felix, and Molly were. Not to mention the twins Casper and Solaris Mobley. Would they be willing to welcome him back after knowing about his activities at Hogwarts?

To that question, Harry did not know the answer.

* * *

Well, what do you know? Harry has actually managed to fight Dumbledore, not using magic, but by using his wits! But the story is far from over!

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	26. Rewarded

This story is far from over, because there's more fighting between Harry Potter & Dumbledore's "_Golden Team_"!

* * *

Chapter 25: **Rewarded**

Date written: February 12, 2008

Harry prepares to go home for the summer while Dumbledore and his group plots to get revenge against the Ravenclaws.

* * *

Here's the 25th part of the story:

It was now time for Harry Potter to be heading home from Hogwarts.

Everyone in Ravenclaw had had their trunks packed and most of the kids were talking of homes and families, two things that Harry did not have at all. But he knew that it was not over yet.

Harry stormed to Dumbledore's office. Dumbledore was alone, as his "_Golden Team_" was still too demoralized to leave their dorms. In fact, everyone in the school had found out about the duels between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw. Most of the Gryffindors themselves began to shun Ron, Hermione, Austin, Tillie and Lisette, Charlie, Dylan, Xavier, Diana, and Hunter.

Harry said to Dumbledore, "So how do you like them apples? I knock you down and you don't say anything. Everyone here has heard about our duel and your little "_Golden Brats_" were all but kicked out of Gryffindor. So there you have it."

"Harry, I do not wish to fight you," said the old man.

"You liar," said Harry with an angry look on his face. "You still want to trick me. You do know that I can easily kill every one of your golden bastards and not lose any sleep over it. Also, my aunt knows about what you tried to do to me, and she's going to let you know about it in a letter very soon."

He stormed out the office and everyone who saw him immediately backed away. He knew that come hell or high water, Dumbledore was going to pay dearly for his cruelty.

* * *

That night was the final night at Hogwarts. Harry sat with Phil, Nina, Duncan, and Candice as he saw everyone sitting in their assigned seats. He saw Jonathan and Dudley chatting with Kirk while Jacquel was talking to Peter about her new haircut. The Gryffindors were all withdrawn and sullen. Ron, Hermione, Austin, Tillie and Lisette, Charlie, Dylan, Xavier, Diana, and Hunter were nowhere to be seen.

Dumbledore said, "And now, we shall decide the winner of the house cup for the end of this school term. With Gryffindor disqualified because of various incidents of rule breaking, we now have three houses in the running. With 384 points, Hufflepuff is in third place…" (here, the Hufflepuffs cheered) "…while Slytherin and Ravenclaw are tied with 558 points."

The students all gasped as the score was announced. No one had expected that Slytherin would tie with anyone, let alone Ravenclaw. But Dumbledore was not done yet, as he said, "But we have some slight changes here." he stared directly at the blue crew. "To Philip Dennison, I reward to you 30 points for outdoing Hermione Granger in almost every subject here at Hogwarts." Very few people clapped. "For Nina Barlow, I reward to you 30 points for refusing to back down when challenged." A cheer broke out, especially from members of the Barlow family as the Weasleys booed. "To Duncan Snyder and Candice Thorpe, I reward to you 30 points for your strong friendship with Harry Potter." This time, there was some scattered applause all throughout Ravenclaw. "But to Harry Potter, for his unwavering loyalty to Ravenclaw house even though the circumstances were stacked against him, I reward to you 50 points." Everyone from Ravenclaw cheered.

Dumbledore then held up a hand and said, "And while Gryffindor lost so many of their points over the year, I feel that I should give a special reward of 10 points to Neville Longbottom. It is not enough to stand up to those who make fun of you, but sometimes, you must learn to stand up to your friends as well. Neville was wiling to put everything on the line in order to sooth the problems between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw..."

He did not get to finish his speech, because the Gryffindors burst into cheers, all clapping Neville on his back. Everyone else started applauding; even the Slytherins were clapping. Draco said, "You may have won this round, Potter, but don't think that I will go easy on you. There's still a rivalry between us and I know for a fact that my father will find out about you and demand retribution. It's not over yet, Potter."

Harry sighed and nodded; he knew that sooner or later, there could be a rivalry between him and Draco Malfoy. Or what if he could somehow actually befriend the boy? He knew that it could be done, even if the other Ravenclaws would be telling him that it was a bad idea. However, with the "_Golden Team_" still demanding that he join them, mayhaps a Slytherin as his friend could come in quite handy.

Jacquel came up to him and said, "Congratulations on your win, Harry. I do hope that you haven't forgotten our situation, or have we?"

"Can't say I haven't," said Harry. "But I still wonder what really happened the night you disappeared."

Jacquel said, "Well, I was still kind of mad at you when I left. I'm still mad, of course, but Seamus did tell me about my grandmother and now, I get to go live with her, no thanks to Dumbledore."

"So you won't be coming back," said Harry.

"Why should I?" said Jacquel. "I found out that the guy who I thought was my brother was NOT my brother, plus I learned about Dumbledore's scheme to have me placed in Gryffindor. Do you think I'm going to let that slide? No siree bob. I have better things to worry about than that kooky old man."

"So you do intend to go to Gareth Hall," said Harry.

"I do, but I can still change my mind and stay here," said Jacquel.

"But will you stay?" said Harry.

"Don't get your hopes up," said Jacquel as she left the room.

Harry frowned as he watched Jacquel leave the great hall. He should have known hat sooner or later, Jacquel wasn't going to be able to stay with the Dursleys or go to Hogwarts with Harry. _I should have seen it coming at the moment that Jacquel said that she could no longer stay with the Dursley family_, Harry thought to himself.

Plus, she wasn't theirs to keep.

* * *

The next day, Harry found himself at the train station as Hagrid helped load the students' trunks onto the train. The students were finally returning home after almost a year of being at Hogwarts.

A year, Harry thought to himself as he watched everyone else board the train. It has been a whole year since this all began. He wondered what would have happened had he not chosen to go to Hogwarts and stayed home. One, he would have gone to Stonewall Middle School and functioned as a normal muggle boy, or he would have been dragged to Hogwarts on his butt. Both choices would have resulted in Harry becoming Dumbledore's bitter enemy.

He frowned as he spied on Dumbledore talking to Ron, Hermione, Austin, Tillie and Lisette, Charlie, Dylan, Xavier, Diana, and Hunter as they were beginning to leave the school. The group was standing in a circle next to the train, where no one could see them. They were mainly talking about how they were going to get Harry back for refusing them and exposing their deeds to the public. If anything, they had made a very dangerous enemy, Harry mused to himself.

"Harry, hey Harry!" Duncan's voice called him back. Harry turned and saw Duncan staring at him. "It's time to go," he said.

Harry said, "Dumbledore's plotting with the Gryffindors in order to get revenge against me."

"Pay them no mind," said Duncan. "They can't do anything to you. Plus, most of them are orphans and who would listen to anything that orphans have to say? It's your word against theirs, Harry. Also, everyone in the wizarding world is talking about you, Harry. You exposed the Order of the Shadows, outwitted the Gryffindors, and put Dumbledore in his place. His retribution will be swift, but we must be ready so that when the time comes, we will be able to get rid of him for good."

"I hope," said Harry as the boys began to board the train.

Hagrid came to Harry and said, "are you sure that you plan to return to Hogwarts next term?"

"I don't know," said Harry, "and to be perfectly honest, I do not think that I should return at all. I exposed Dumbledore and tarnished Gryffindor house. If anything, I say that they deserved it."

"Indeed they do," said Hagrid. "Anyway, have a good summer and I hope to see you soon, if on your birthday."

"I hope," said Harry as he boarded the train and the train took off.

While everyone was happily chatting with each other about the upcoming summer vacation, Harry found himself wondering if he really wanted to return to Hogwarts. If anything, he knew he had to go back. Dumbledore was still in charge there and he still needed to be taught a lesson. The Gryffindors, despite losing the House Cup to Ravenclaw, were still the top house. Ron, Hermione, Austin, Tillie and Lisette, Charlie, Dylan, Xavier, Diana, and Hunter would still be running around unchecked, unchallenged, and wrecking other students' lives at will. They needed to be stopped.

* * *

"Harry, wake up! We're here!" Harry woke up and saw Dudley shaking him awake. "Mom and dad are here, and everyone's waiting on you."

Harry frowned and looked around him. The Hogwarts express had pulled into the king's cross train station. Scores of kids were getting off the train and being greeted by their families. As Harry stepped off the train, he began to wish that he had a family to greet him instead of Petunia Dursley.

She noticed him and said, "Hurry up, Harry, everyone's outside waiting to see you." She stared at him and said, "Is there something wrong?"

"Nothing wrong, Aunt Petunia," said Harry as he grabbed his trunk and waved to Phil, Nina, Duncan, and Candice.

"Well, I've heard that there was a bit of trouble at Hogwarts," said Petunia, "and I wonder if maybe I should send you to Smelting instead of Hogwarts."

"I don't know," said Harry, "but I think they need me at Hogwarts. Dumbledore is not the man what I hoped he was and some people are looking to cause trouble for everyone. They all look to me to make things right, and I should. But for now, I'm tired and I'd really like to go home and rest before I make any major decisions regarding my education."

"Indeed you shall," said Vernon as he brought over little Molly to see Harry. Harry stared at Molly; she had Lily's same green eyes and red hair. Molly would never know about her dead father at all.

The baby gripped Harry's hand and he smiled. He knew exactly what he must do: make the wizarding world a better place so that when it came time for Molly to decide if she wanted to go to Hogwarts, she would go there, knowing that the school would be a decent place for young wizards and witches in training.

But Harry James Potter knew that it was over yet, not as far as everything was concerned…

* * *

Now that the first part of the story is over, let's get ready for the second part to begin! This time, the _Chamber of Secrets_ has been rewritten to include Harry as a Ravenclaw. So how would a Ravenclaw Harry handle the events of _Chamber of Secrets_?

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